DISRUPTIVE DISRUPTIVE DISRUPTIVE TELECOMS TELECOMS TELECOMS Enable. Innovate. Transform Enable. Innovate. Transform Enable. Innovate. Transform

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Seven Global Stories on NB-IoT

Strategies for Meeting Eliminating Taking a Shot at Strategies for Meeting Eliminating Taking a Shot at Strategies for Meeting Eliminating Taking a Shot at Solace, the “One-Stop Shop” Enterprise-Grade Messaging Fabric Network Demand Cloud Gaming with 5G “Digital Deserts” Edge Computing Network Demand Cloud Gaming with 5G “Digital Deserts” Edge Computing Network Demand Cloud Gaming with 5G “Digital Deserts” Edge Computing Tom Cloonan Patrick Joggerst David Sumi Dennis Chan Tom Cloonan Patrick Joggerst David Sumi Dennis Chan Tom Cloonan Patrick Joggerst David Sumi Dennis Chan CommScope Ribbon Siklu HGC Global Communications CommScope Ribbon Siklu HGC Global Communications CommScope Ribbon Siklu HGC Global Communications

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An Initiative by TelecomDrive.com 1 An Initiative by TelecomDrive.com An Initiative by TelecomDrive.com To Cloud or Not to Cloud To Cloud or Not to Cloud Ribbon Looking at Celeberating 25 Years Guavus - Enabling Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Combining Efforts of India’s CSPs to Win with on SDN, NFV Mobility Revolution Big Data

5G: Expanding Frontier Solace, the “One-Stop Shop” on Speed, Coverage Seven Global Stories on NB-IoT Enterprise-Grade Messaging Fabric and Latency 2

Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com From the Editor

Zia Askari Editor, TelecomDrive.com Top 10 Disruptive Tech Trends for 2021 hen it comes to year 2020, there is no doubt that And as 5G network environment turns out to be more adoption of public cloud in a renewed manner. the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has affected the developed in 2021, unique convergence of 5G smartphones Wworldwide economy as well as the advancement and AR glasses will empower smartphones to run AR Trend 7: Work from Anywhere of technology and new product development in different applications all the more easily and deliver advanced personal Work from anywhere operations model will be quite critical businesses. audio-visual entertainment functionalities by utilizing the for businesses to emerge successfully from COVID-19. At its Regardless of this ongoing pressing situation, there have additional computing power of smartphones. core, this operating model allows for business to be accessed, been various new innovations, driving technology trends This will also hold huge importance for an ongoing home- delivered and enabled anywhere — where customers, across various segments, including artificial intelligence, 5G, based educational environment. And hence, smartphone employers and business partners operate in physically remote internet of things (IoT), extended reality (XR), and automotive brands and mobile network operators will move to embrace environments. safety. AR glasses market on a large-scale in the year 2021. We are presenting a list of 10 most important disruptive Trend 8: Adoption of SASE tech trends that will have great impact on the year 2021. Trend 4: Automation Roadmaps As we move towards a highly converged and networked The impact of COVID-19 pandemic is changing automation society in the year 2021 - SASE or Secure Access Service Trend 1: Fast Emergence of 5G plans for organisations quickly toward back-office processes Edge will hold greater significance and this is where the future Year 2021 will see rapid deployment of commercial grade and business strength. Intelligent automation will represent of network security will evolve. 5G services and more operators will embrace new standard of the infusion of robotic and digital process automation with SASE is the convergence of wide area networking, or communications to serve their customers in a better way. 5G pragmatic AI driven solutions. These innovative developments WAN, and enables network security services into a single, will turn out to be a real disruptive game changer or year 2021. can assist organizations with getting more proficient and cloud-delivered service model. 5G will provide the much needed boost al the digital tough while extending their operations. This approach allows organizations to apply secure collaboration, telecommunication and videoconferencing access no matter where their users, applications or devices needs of the new normal today and deliver accelerated Trend 5: Development of Driver Monitoring Systems are located. SASE delivers great advantages such as an speeds for customers. This will hold special importance for 5G Development of driver monitoring system will also move unprecedented WAN scalability, edge to edge security and an use cases around education, medical care and technology-led towards new dimension in the year 2021. Automotive safety increased network performance. manufacturing. technology is moving from applications outside the vehicle Fast emergence of 5G will also bring significant growth in to more of an in-vehicle scenario, and sensing innovation is Trend 9: Investments in Quantum Computing widespread adoption of IoT. Enterprise and SMBs utilizing IoT presently incorporating driver status monitoring with external In this pandemic era – as a technology, quantum have noticed an improved insight into customer needs, practices, environmental readings. computing is helping in the administration of COVID-19 on and inclinations. The value of 5G, in this way, will soar in 2021. And hence, automotive AI integration is turning into an dealing with the spread, searching for potential vaccines, empowering agent of automotive safety, extending beyond and the advancement of therapeutics. And in the year 2021, Trend 2: Growing Demand for Data Analytics entertainment and user assistance functionalities. organizations will move towards this technology segment to More and more organizations will adopt AI and ML driven quench their thirst for innovation. data analytics in order to get business critical network insights Trend 6: Adoption of Distributed Cloud and gain better operational efficiencies as well as win over A distributed cloud environment is where cloud services are Trend 10: Focus on Hyperlocal Operations their closest competition. distributed to different physical locations, but the operation, In the upcoming decade, large enterprises will go hyperlocal Throughout the next years, firms will decide to work with governance and evolution remain the responsibility of the and improve their capacity to work with hyperlocal operations, partners that focus on data analytics and implement practices public cloud provider – this will gain importance as enterprise along with small and medium sized businesses developing and that derive more value from their network investments. and SMBs look for low-latency, scalable and yet cost-effective growing to new topographies. cloud solutions. And in order to enhance operational efficiencies in such Trend 3: Integration of AR Glasses This model allows organizations to have cloud services a scenario, organisations should plan structures that can Augment reality (AR) glasses will move towards a delivered with low-latency scenarios and reduced data costs efficiently distribute customer engagement and business tasks smartphone connected design in 2021 with the smartphone and also helps to accommodate laws that dictate data must to significant geographic locales while holding centralized filling in as the computing platform for the glasses. remain in a specific geographical area. This will also drive technology management benefits. content Journey To Digital Acceleration...... 4 AB Handshake, The Brand New A-Number Spoofing “Vaccine” Of Choice For Voice Telecom Operators!...... 26 Powering Cloud Gaming With 5G Networks...... 10 Digital Transformation All About Transforming MediaTek At The Forefront With Technology A Business Model...... 28 Designed for 5G Era...... 12 Telecom 2021: The Path Ahead...... 32 The Urban Digital Divide - Eliminating The “Digital Deserts”...... 14 11 Open RAN Predictions For 2021...... 34 Industrial IoT Right In The Middle Of India’s The Rise Of ‘As A Service’ Solutions: Your Shortcut 5G Revolution...... 16 To The Digital Telco!...... 37 Will Telcos Take The Shot At This Century’s Private 5G And The Fourth Industrial Revolution...... 38 Top Opportunity?...... 19 The New Horizon: Software’s Journey Into Guavus: Powering Innovations In Big The Unknown...... 41 Data Analytics...... 21 Strategies For Meeting Network Demand...... 43 How Internet Based Companies Are Finance In The Cloud: How The Financial Sector Uses Driving Innovation...... 24 Cloud Technologies...... 45

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Cover Story Journey to Digital Acceleration With remote work, remote learning and digital transformation almost everywhere, fast paced digital acceleration is now a reality and it is taking hold in enterprise across various industry verticals. The definition of digital transformation and acceleration may vary from business to business, it is clear that we are in a state of evolution, with data at the helm of all this

ore recently, the Digital Transformation identify ways to make it more efficient pandemic has also Digital transformation involves and be able to translate those been driving the digitizing information and processes. learnings into insights-driven decision- pace of digital In the first wave, the initial digitization making. acceleration. Digital process involved buying and selling And digital acceleration is not just Macceleration is more important process (e.g., e-commerce). Then applying or gathering data from now because you can use data people started recognizing there is a process, but also accelerating as an output of the digitization a huge opportunity to assess every growth and impact of your business exercise to better understand risk. single process within a company. using data and digital learnings. The pandemic has created more This is just the tip of the iceberg This includes digital maturity as risk than we’ve ever seen in our on the benefits to be realized when an indication of the readiness generation, and many people were it comes to using digitalization of of your organization to leverage completely unprepared. information in a supply chain to better digital technologies and insights. understand each step in the process, Digital transformation readies the

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Cover Story organization to take advantage of Enabling Fourth Industrial SMBs can implement, which we data; digital acceleration optimizes the Revolution believe will have the biggest impact capabilities for growth. The ever-wider availability of on telecom companies. technologies such as mobile, artificial Road to Digital Transformation intelligence, cloud, analytics and Future-Ready Networks. Digital transformation is emerging platforms is dramatically altering Virtualization and an abstraction of as a key driver of sweeping change the way we live, work and interact the physical hardware layer promise in the world around us. It has the – in what has been termed the to fundamentally change the basis potential to significantly improve Fourth Industrial Revolution. The of future service differentiation by consumer lives and create broader telecommunications (telecom) creating self-optimizing and secure societal good, while providing industry is playing a critical role zero touch networks. businesses with new opportunities for in enabling this digital revolution value creation and capture. unfolding around us. Beyond the Pipe. The telecommunications The telecom ecosystem has The increased digital transformation industry is at the forefront of provided the fundamental building of consumers’ lives and businesses this transformation, both as an blocks – access, interconnectivity presents the telecom industry with industry witnessing large-scale and applications – that are enabling important opportunities to extend change in its market environment this digital revolution to take place. revenue streams beyond connectivity, and as a key driver of worldwide A large share of potential value through integrated internet of digitization. stemming from digitization across things (IoT) solutions, consumer Investment by the global industries over the next decade and enterprise digital services, telecommunications industry in is dependent on the telecom industry and reimagined models of digital technology and interoperability has delivering essential infrastructure, communication leveraging advances underpinned an immense shift in applications and productivity in natural human interfaces and information and capital flows through improvements in many areas. augmented reality/virtual reality – the global economy, while providing The industry faces a rapidly AR/VR capabilities. the building blocks for the emergence changing economic and competitive of entirely new business models landscape driven by internal and Redefining Customer across industries. external digital disruptions. So far, Engagement. In parallel, access to a globally the role that telecom operators have To win the race for customer loyalty connected network has empowered played in accelerating digital business and mindshare, telecom industry millions of people around the world, and service models has not translated players will need to increasingly by giving them access to real-time into new value for the operators deploy features and tools that deliver information, marketplaces and social themselves. delightful digital experiences. This is programmes that will have long-term Pressure on traditional revenues especially important as customers implications for quality of life. means that it is increasingly important now expect the high-quality digital It is clear that digitization will be a for operators to look at new digital experiences they receive in one source of transformational change, business models to make sure that industry to be matched by companies but there are a number of challenges they share in the value from digital in other sectors. that need to be overcome. In many transformation. cases, the gains from digitization Bridging the Gap on Innovation. have been inequitable, with the Future Horizons The need for rapid innovation, benefits not reaching those who The next decade of digitization greater convergence and new need them most. At the same time, will look markedly different from services means that telcos must fill the exponential increase in global the past and companies across the capability gaps using new innovation information flows has created new industry will need to be well-prepared models and revamped talent risks for data privacy and security. to take advantage of the sweeping strategies for a digital workforce. Businesses across sectors are transformation taking place in grappling with challenges related to consumer lives, enterprises and the Challenges to Change changing customer expectations, broader economy. Some significant barriers stand in cultural transformation, outdated We have identified four broad digital the way of this value capture: firms regulation and skill shortages, among themes, each including definable are encumbered by legacy assets; others. digital initiatives that enterprise and there is limited collaboration between

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Cover Story the public and private sectors; the established organizational hierarchies To cope with bandwidth demand, “innovator’s dilemma” encourages and orthodoxies. This will be driven mobile networks will transform into inertia; and the culture at incumbent mainly by a change in governance, a massively dense heterogeneous firms is impacting their ability to incentives, metrics and talent network (“HetNets”) with a high attract and retain the best digital strategy. Digitization of the industry degree of flexibility afforded by talent. will require a transformation of technologies such as software- There are other challenges existing policy and regulatory models. defined networking (SDN), network hindering societal value creation. For Transformational change in function virtualization (NFV) and instance, slow or uneven adoption networks and business models will Cloud RAN. With spectrum efficiency of digital communications or the have to be accompanied by greater and bandwidth coming to its logical internet in under-penetrated regions flexibility in regulation, especially on limits, the new normal will be can exacerbate the digital divide by spectrum management, consistency densifying cells by up to a factor of concentrating most of the benefits across jurisdictions and fiscal policy. 100. in the population segments that Some of these requirements are better prepared to benefit from Looking Ahead will be met through the expected the technology – the wealthy, the Looking ahead, what might the transition to the next-generation (5G) educated and the skilled. distribution of industry profits in 2025 network, but the rapid increase in Unlocking wider value for the look like? Interestingly, many industry demand is likely to drive much faster lowest economic segments will executives believe that the share of development and adoption of these need focused action to address the wireless/wireline operators in industry technologies on legacy networks as analogue challenges – affordability, profits could fall even further, implying well. fair competition, locally relevant that these companies are still not content and accountable institution. doing enough to capture long-term Colliding Platforms Network transformation will be value from digitization. The emergence of the digital necessary to enable new business There are signs that the next phase economy has meant that networks models beyond the pipe and address of competition in telecommunications and semiconductors now form the changing customer expectations. may look different from the past, infrastructure layer of application- Enabling new cross-industry accelerating the need for operators specific technology stacks, with business models in areas such as IoT to abandon incremental initiatives in other layers consisting of enabling will require flexible and agile networks favour of transformational innovation. platforms (integration software, that allow ubiquitous coverage of A number of key trends are likely operating systems), applications and people and things, software defined to increase pressure on margins digital services for end-users. Until network functions and analytics, by forcing operators to undertake now, these layers have developed personal data protection and cyber- large investments at a time when independently, with large numbers of resilience, ultra-reliable low-latency competition in the industry is participants in each layer competing communication, and enhanced mobile intensifying. to build and provide services for broadband. New business models These trends include: specific-use cases. leveraging emerging technologies However, we are already seeing will require strong collaboration 1,000x capacity driving increased convergence and with vertical industries and internet innovations consolidation towards the middle platforms. The growth in data consumption platform layer. Application developers Competitive advantage in digital and the surge in the number of and digital service providers are services and IoT will be driven by the connected devices are likely to require developing their own integration capability to collect and analyse large future networks to have 1,000 times systems and middleware as these pools of data specific to vertical- more capacity than is available today. aspects become critical to their market use cases and to target value At the same time, a growing number business models and also provide opportunities through customization of real-time applications will demand large revenue and profit opportunities of services and offerings. Operating that end-to-end network latency be (Amazon Web Services is a prime in the digital age requires corporate reduced to milliseconds, to enable example). At the same time, network cultural change along with new a seamless and lag-free experience operators are developing new organizational structures. in browsing, watching videos or capabilities in these areas to move Creating a culture of innovation will even remotely controlling robots or beyond the relatively slow-growing be dependent on breaking through vehicles. infrastructure layer.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Siklu and Facebook Eliminating the 'Digital Deserts'

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Cover Story

Diminishing Differentiation at the centre of government or Software-differentiated The emergence of data-driven political agendas could mean higher networks business models now means that profitability pressures on operators Over the coming decade, network competitive differentiation is driven through greater regulatory scrutiny, functions traditionally implemented by companies that can best utilize pricing pressures or even wide- on costly hardware will be replaced consumer data to drive business ranging nationalization of telecom with lightweight software solutions models. Telecom players, already assets. supporting standard “IT-like” or lacking OTT businesses in this A series of digital, industry and API-based interfaces, deployable on respect, face a real threat of being customer trends is accelerating digital very inexpensive, general-purpose left to compete on two inherently transformation in telecommunications. hardware platforms. This shift is contradictory fronts – price and The industry is gearing up for being led by technologies built on throughput – that could put margins a massive increase in demand and enabled by the cloud, such as under further pressure. from other industries. Customer software-defined networking (SDN) Telcos could be left to compete expectations are crossing industry and network function virtualization as IP-connectivity pure plays. In boundaries and raising the bar across (NFV). the extreme scenario, increasing industries, forcing telecom operators While the industry is yet to arrive at commoditization of the core offering to redefine customer experience. a common vision for future networks, could see margins drop to the levels Networks themselves will evolve from most view SDN and NFV as central of utility companies. being differentiated on proprietary to their plans. These technologies hardware to an era of software- promise several important benefits: Customer 3.0 defined systems. And pressures on SDN by separating the control and Customers are beginning to traditional revenues have meant data layers; and NFV by replacing judge the quality of the products that operators are looking at new complex network functions with or services they receive not only digital business models and service easy-to-manipulate virtualized against competitors within that sector areas, with areas such as IoT likely to software. Widespread adoption of but also against the best customer emerge as new battlegrounds. these technologies will be driven service they have experienced in any primarily by network cost reduction. It industry. Networks of the Future is estimated that SDN and NFV could Customers now expect levels of One of the key achievements of the generate savings of 25% to 75% of personalization, on demand access telecom industry has been to establish overall operator operating expenditure and quality that match the leaders the vast physical networks of local, thanks to significantly reduced in any industry. This will become national and global connectivity provisioning, monitoring and hardware increasingly important for operators that have transformed the world. costs. as expectations evolve faster than the However, the ability of physical These technologies also promise industry’s ability to meet them. infrastructure to drive differentiation to create value for customers has diminished drastically. through flexible services, faster Networks as national assets In the future, networks are likely times to market and improved user Governments are recognizing the to evolve in two main ways. First, experiences. The ability to view and potential for telecom networks to advances in digital and cloud manipulate network functions on drive competitive differentiation capabilities will transform operators’ demand, and at a granular at a national level, but they also cost bases, moving away from level, will catalyse service view the industry as a key source expensive, proprietary hardware to innovation and allow stronger of government revenue through generic, commoditized equipment collaborations between customers licensing fees and sectoral taxes. that allows a greater share of and providers. Several countries – including Japan, resources to be invested in increasing From the outside, the deployment New Zealand, Singapore, India, reliability, flexibility and innovation of SDN and NFV may look like any Australia and the Republic of Korea through software. Second, an other industry technology push, but – are deploying widespread fibre-to- explosion in diverse use cases across many analysts are comparing the the premises (FTTP) networks at a industries will require networks scale and scope of the transformation national scale to bridge an emerging that are flexible, autonomous and to be equivalent to the introduction digital divide and deliver key social customized, while ensuring that of IPbased networks (which enabled benefit programmes. However, underlying data flows are reliable and the global internet). While current these efforts that put networks secure. adoption levels are negligible,

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Cover Story

SDN and NFV are forecast to be sharpen their focus on new innovation Reinventing Future-Proof a fundamental part of telecom models. Communication networks across the world by 2025, Innovations ranging from natural with significant potential benefits for Digital Services user interfaces and holography to both the industry and its customers. As digital disruptors and augmented reality (AR) and virtual While there is yet to emerge OTT players attack traditional reality (VR) show the potential to a common defined standard for communication revenues, telecos change how we interact with one deployment across carriers and are pursuing opportunities to move another and the world around us. technologies, large network carriers up the digital stack to the services These technologies point to the – AT&T, Verizon, Deutsche Telekom, layer. With a large customer base, future of smartphones – and maybe NTT, Telefónica, Singtel among ownership of key infrastructure beyond. others – are likely to lead the efforts and strong technology capabilities, By 2030, the PC will be 50 years old to develop and standardize critical telecom operators will try to take on and the smartphone almost 15 years components of SDN and NFV. the role of digital services providers, old. What will be the new normal for often emerging as disruptors to other communication devices? Bridging the Gap on Innovation industries. The next decade will see Virtual Reality and Augmented Innovation within the operators make an aggressive push to Reality have the potential to become telecommunications industry has transform their revenue mix through the next big computing platform and made an immense contribution to focused initiatives across a number of possibly emerge to be “as game- global productivity. The evolution key services applications. changing as the advent of the PC”. of fixed- and mobile-network This is particularly relevant in light technology has brought lightning- Integrated on IoT of the transformational change that fast connectivity to users across IoT is likely to be the next major personal computers and smartphones the world, changing the way we value opportunity across industries. brought to everyday lives of consumers collaborate and interact. The industry Industrial IoT, for instance, is and employees (and the value these has set benchmarks in collaboration, forecast to add $14 trillion of firms created in the process). While with bodies such as the GSMA, economic value to the global telecom operators missed out on a tm forum and MEF driving the economy by 2030. As providers potential windfall with the explosion development of global standards to of key connectivity – between in mobile, a focus on emerging enable widespread adoption. sensors, devices, data centres and technologies can ensure that significant In the digital age, however, the people – the telecom ecosystem value is captured for shareholders. industry’s traditional innovation will be integral to the proliferation AR and VR could herald a shift away models (with investment cycles of the “internet of everything”. As from the screen and significantly stretching five to seven years), the business models evolve over the reduce the gap between our digital development of industry standards, coming decade, linking more than and physical worlds, in the process licensing contracts and wide 50 billion new legacy sensors to reshaping existing ways of buying infrastructure development have not a common network will require products, getting medical care or protected it from external disruption. industries to work closely with the communicating with those around us. Digital disruption today is telecom ecosystem. The application of AR and VR characterized by declining technology While the telecom industry stands is likely to extend beyond just costs, rapid innovation models to benefit from meeting the massive social media and gaming: recent and a fail-fast culture. Digital has increase in demand for data packets analysis shows that the majority of dramatically reduced entry costs – its core “product” offering – several investments in these technologies at almost every point of the value companies within the ecosystem have taken place in commercial and chain, making it increasingly difficult are recognizing the potentially large industrial applications. The variety to predict the emergence of new value opportunity that lies beyond of those commercial and industrial competition. just providing the infrastructure applications – including labour Today there is an urgent need to necessary to meet additional demand. training, retail, real estate, security, provide agile, integrated and seamless Operators are investing to move up manufacturing, logistics, healthcare connectivity and digital services, the technology stack towards building and data analytics – are evidence of juxtaposed with telcos’ traditionally the platforms, applications, integration the VR/AR potential to transform long investment and innovation and analytics capabilities that unleash how we work, socialize, learn, cycles, should force operators to the real power of IoT. entertain and consume.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on Cloud Gaming Powering Cloud Gaming with 5G Networks

By Patrick Joggerst, Chief Marketing Officer and EVP, Business Development, Ribbon

veryone from operators five hours a day on gaming. is that the vast majority of today’s 5G and vendors to analysts That time increased dramatically networks are not setup to deliver the and market forecasters during periods of local lockdowns and services that gamers are looking for. agree that cloud gaming is social distancing measures, with the Nearly all the 5G networks deployed set to be really important number of gamers playing more than around the world have been of the Efor 5G, and vice-versa. But what do five hours a day almost doubling to ‘non-stand-alone’ variety, where the gamers themselves think, and what 43 per cent. Additionally, the average 5G radio path uses existing support- do they expect from this technology? gaming time went past four hours ing infrastructure and is not capable How aware are they aware of the with more than three-quarters of the of delivering the network slicing capabilities of 5G, and is it something gamers spending at least that amount capability that has long been touted they’re eager to leverage? of time playing games every day. as one of the key differentiators of a We commissioned research with There is no doubt that these are 5G network. 5,000 dedicated hardcore gamers the very people that operators need The gaming experience, and the (defined as players who typically put to reach with 5G gaming services. cloud gaming experience even more in more than three hours gaming The good news we uncovered for so, depends on a low latency connec- every single day before the pandemic) the operator community is that these tion. One of the great advantages of across five countries. Across the gamers are very 5G aware. Even 5G networks is that they are archi- group, the average amount of time better news is that they are deeply tected to deliver network slicing with spent gaming was 3 hours and 40 committed to their gaming habit, and guaranteed levels of service within minutes per day, with just over 20 per willing to invest in order to improve each slice. However this capabil- cent of the group spending more than their experience. The less good news ity is only available in stand-alone

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on Cloud Gaming

5G networks, built on packet optical transport infrastructure designed to handle slicing and deliver end-to-end low-latency connections. Without that infrastructure, the hardcore mobile and cloud gaming market will remain out of reach. The question then becomes: is this market worth reaching? Our survey says yes. Hardcore gamers spend, on average, around $84 per month on their broadband and mobile con- nectivity combined. And what should really grab the operators’ attention is that four out of five of them would seriously consider swapping their ex- isting broadband and mobile contracts for a 5G mobile service if it offered a better connection and lower latency. Patrick Joggerst, Chief Marketing Officer and EVP, Business Development, Ribbon Furthermore, 95 per cent of that group were prepared to pay sig- boost and some 58 per cent of them rently unfulfilled demand for mobile nificantly more every month for the said they would switch to a 5G ser- and cloud gaming, service providers improved experience. In fact, some vice provider offering a high-quality need to invest in network slicing, in a 60 per cent said they would spend bundled gaming subscription as soon packet optical transport infrastructure at least half as much again – that’s as they could. to support it, and in full stand-alone more than $120 per month for 5G to Bundling a gaming subscription with 5G networks. replace their existing home broadband a 5G contract adds further potential and mobile contracts. revenue fuel for the operators. After Patrick Joggerst is the Chief Marketing These dedicated gamers know all, if you examine their spend on Officer and Executive Vice President what they want from 5G and are games, subscriptions, connectivity, of Business Development for Ribbon well informed about the service they and accessories combined, our hard- Communications, a secure real time communications company. Previously, receive. They know their exact ping core gamers were investing a total of Patrick was EVP of Global Sales & rates, and they also know that if $260 each month. Marketing for GENBAND. latency on a connection exceeds 30 The global gaming market is mas- He has an accomplished career in milliseconds, the gaming experience sive, with some 2.7 billion ardent gam- communications spanning three decades, suffers. Diving deeper, only 7% of having managed sales and marketing ers in the world, and we estimate the organizations for both telecommunications the gamers we surveyed believed revenue opportunity from 5G gaming service providers and technology suppliers. their current connection consistently connectivity alone is worth an extra Prior to GENBAND, Patrick served as Vice delivered the optimal low latency rate $150bn a year for the service provider President of Global Sales for BroadSoft, a of ten milliseconds required to enjoy- community. That’s before you add leading provider of software and services that enable service providers to offer ably play cloud gaming. Additionally, the opportunity for service providers Unified Communications over their IP a sizeable 83 per cent believed that to bundle a cloud games subscription, networks. a 5G connection would make cloud or develop partnerships with gaming Patrick also served as the Executive gaming a much more compelling companies, into the service packages. Vice President & General Manager for the experience. Carrier Services & Solutions business unit Then the rewards get even bigger. at Aricent Group, a systems integration and They are not wrong. Stand-alone All of which means that – after software solutions provider owned by KKR. 5G networks are capable of expo- speaking to the actual users – our Earlier positions held by Patrick included: nentially outperforming the gamer’s view is that everyone was right: gam- Senior VP of World-Wide Sales at NextPoint current mobile and fixed connectivity ing is a vitally important 5G market. Networks (formerly NexTone), EVP of Global Sales and Marketing at Telcordia experience, providing faster download But to reach it requires a step change Technologies, President of PrimeCo PCS, speeds and latency as low as one in the investment strategy. Non- President of Carrier Service at Global millisecond. These gamers are well stand-alone 5G does not unlock that Crossing, as well as several executive aware of this potential performance market. To reach that latent, and cur- positions at AT&T.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on Future of Smartphones MediaTek at the Forefront with Technology Designed for 5G Era When it comes to future of smartphones –chipsets are right at the heart of enabling future-proof innovation and delivering great capabilities in the hands of users.

With its continued focus As we move towards embracing our customers in 2021 and beyond. towards meaningful 5G, this is going to be about ar- Talking about smartphone SoCs innovation - MediaTek ray of IoT devices, drones and of in 2021, we believe that most chips is at the forefront with course smartphones – what are will feature 5G capabilities and AI technology designed for your key priorities going to be in enhancements for premium user the 5G era, delivering the year 2021? experiences. Consumption of data high performance In the coming year, the 5G market is is increasing at an incredible rate gaming experience, expected to increase significantly. We and there is a growing demand and unrivalled image quality, are expecting around 500 million (chip) requirement for faster and better uninterrupted connectivity units to be shipped in 2021. At present, connectivity devices and solutions. and smooth responsive we are also working on technology up- According to TRAI data, there were action in smartphones. Anku Jain, Managing gradation like 5G modem technology, 743.19 million internet subscribers at Director, MediaTek India WiFi-6, Edge AI capability, and 8K the end of March 2020 with wireless speaks with Zia Askari capability as a part of our commitment being (97 per cent share of the overall from TelecomDrive.com to deliver high quality, highly reliable, pie). about the company’s and trustworthy products and solutions We have come a long way from 2G priorities for 2021 and to our customers. With such strong services in 1995 to pervasive 4G in the what we can expect from fundamentals, we have full confidence present and are now looking forward MediaTek in 5G era. that we will continue delivering value to 5G transformations in 2021.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on Future of Smartphones

Smartphone gaming is fast Apart from the Helio G Series, The major issue faced by the global emerging as a key enabler for MediaTek has recently expanded its manufacturing sectors was the driving new age customer expe- gaming-focus to Dimensity series disruption in the supply chains due to riences. How is MediaTek en- chipsets with the addition of 1000+ worldwide lockdowns. abling great user experience on and 800U chips. These chipsets In fact, with social distancing, online gaming front? are designed exclusively to propel education remote work system took Globally, gaming is gaining mileage incredible smartphone gaming a leap that leads to acceleration and several smartphone makers are experiences along with 5G capabilities. in demand for smart devices like working towards launching devices The Dimensity Series combines smartphones, tablets, and laptops etc. that support high-end gaming. We are the latest CPU and GPU cores with MediaTek is continuously pushing working on bringing seamless gaming ultra-fast memory and massive AI boundaries and bringing high-end experiences through dedicated performance to deliver fast and fluid feature-rich smartphones even in chipsets that provide optimal results action. And for even more gaming the mid-ranged handset segment, to the Indian gaming enthusiasts. power, the Dimensity series is paired ensuring that everyone has access MediaTek has a strong focus on with MediaTek’s HyperEngine game to advanced technology experiences. segments including 5G, smartphone technology that tunes the entire MediaTek powered smartphones gaming and smart homes. We are smartphone to an advanced gaming are preferred by consumers across closely working with our partners console with best user experience the spectrum and in the near and developers towards introducing possible. future we look forward to powering newer and more feature-rich chipsets premium handset experience for in the market. We have been quite What are some of the innovative our consumers by collaborating aggressive with our launches in offerings from MediaTek that with device makers who are keen 2020, having already unveiled our we can look forward to in the to walk an extra mile in technology gaming chipsets MediaTek Helio coming months? development. G70, G80, G85, G25 and G35, aiming MediaTek has been focused on the at mainstream gaming smartphone gaming segment and has collaborated Please share your market vision segment. All the SoCs are powered with several mobile giant players. and projection for year 2021? by MediaTek HyperEngine Game MediaTek is committed to enabling What are some of the key trends technology. The MediaTek HelioG the smart devices ecosystem in that you see shaping up in the series is designed to deliver a fast and India and is focusing on boosting 5G coming year? fluid mobile gaming experience. capabilities to make great technology We are expecting 500 million The mobile gaming market is available in the country for everyone. (chip) units to be shipped in 2021. booming in India and smartphone The company has been shipping At present, we are working on makers are keen on delivering the best a lot of chips, which will be packed technology upgrades like 5G modem game-play experience to consumers in the upcoming smartphones that technology; Edge AI capability, WiFi-6 and gaming fans. MediaTek is at the will be shipped in the Indian market. and 8K capability. We believe that forefront with technology designed The 5G enabled gaming handsets most chips will feature 5G capabilities for the 5G era, delivering high are what people will be witnessing in and AI enhancements for premium performance, unrivalled image quality, the coming year from MediaTek as user experiences in the coming uninterrupted connectivity and smooth we believe that India will be a major year. As the consumption of data is responsive action even in the most market for 5G phones and technology increasing at an incredible rate, there demanding games. in 2021. We certainly will work very is a major requirement for faster and closely with our customers to fulfil better connectivity solutions. How do you differentiate your their demands and expectations for We are working on bringing 5G offering on gaming when com- the coming years. connectivity to consumers sooner pared to what is already avail- by targeting the sub6GHz frequency able in the market today? We are still in the middle of band that is ideal for the Indian MediaTek has been working this pandemic today. How has landscape by 2021. We are also on bringing seamless gameplay this affected MediaTek as an collaborating with leading cellular experiences with dedicated chipsets organization and how do you operators, equipment makers and that support high-end gaming look at the future? suppliers to verify the market provides optimal results to gaming The industry has gone through readiness of 5G technologies and enthusiasts of the country. many challenges due to Covid-19. make it accessible.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on mmWave Innovations The Urban Digital Divide – Eliminating the “Digital Deserts” If you ask me, what are the most profitable businesses – the answer is Internet based software companies and they are the ones driving most innovations and meaningful disruptions today By David Sumi, VP – Marketing, Siklu

ccording to a recent recognized hindrance to economic and E (70/80 GHz) have vast swaths report from the Brookings growth and various initiatives with of available spectrum (e.g., from Institution, more than 18 incentives are underway at the federal 5GHz to 14GHz contiguous, or a total million U.S. households in and state levels. The current global of 24GHz), are virtually interference- 2018 had no broadband pandemic has aggravated this situ- free and are inexpensive to use as serviceA “at all.” Further, “the majority ation, as it has become increasingly they are either license-free (V-band) of digitally disconnected households clear over the last few months that or “lightly licensed” (E-band). live in metropolitan areas, and the demonstrating that “good enough” The following examples show how gaps are especially large when com- broadband for a non-COVID world community leaders, council members paring neighborhoods within the same does not come close to meeting the and mayors alike are using V- and place. Effectively, some residents live increased “need for speed” when E-band mmWave to eliminate digital in digital poverty even as their neigh- people are staying at home, working deserts and improve the quality of life bors thrive.” And “from dense urban from home, attending school from for their constituents. cities to emerging exurban counties, home, binge watching from home and In Florida the Tampa Housing 13.9 million metropolitan households visiting family and friends from home Authority (THA) resolved its urban live without an in-home or wireless (“Zoom anyone?”). In particular, with digital divide dilemma with an innova- broadband subscription…”. schools closed and children distance tive solution. When residents of the This is a paradox as it is almost as- learning, not having broadband is now “Tempo” community, near downtown sumed these days that all metropoli- not just critical but essential. May- Tampa, found themselves quaran- tan areas in the US have extensive ors across the country are dealing tined, hundreds of them were without deployments of fiber optic networks. with this crisis and are searching for Internet connectivity due to financial These are typically part of regional answers. restraints and limited service options. backbone networks that provide To remedy this situation, service The THA owns and operates the inter-city and cross country connec- providers and their OEM suppliers are Tempo and reached out to local com- tions and then, within the city, they designing in upgraded technologies pany PBX-Change to boost Tempo’s “branch out” to connect individual such as FTTH and DOCSIS 3.0 and broadband connectivity throughout neighborhoods. Despite this exten- wireless providers are emphasizing the property. sive fiber footprint, there remain large the merits of mobile 5G technology. PBX-Change offers advanced, high- pockets of underserved businesses However, when it comes to 5G, the speed telecommunications services and residences when it comes to the “fixed” variety has a clear advan- to homes and businesses through- current definition of “true” broadband tage over mobile for the purposes of out the Tampa area. The company services provided to the end user by eliminating the digital deserts. Lead- proposed a wireless solution to the cable, FTTH, DSL or fixed wireless. ing carriers in the US have conducted THA, specifically a mmWave one This condition has resulted from vari- trials of fixed wireless access (FWA) based on Siklu’s EtherHaul™ 5500 ous historical and economic reasons broadband in several cities, using the product line. PBX-Change explained and does not “discriminate,” as it can mobile 5G “NR” (new radio) frequen- that it would then be possible to con- apply to lower income neighborhoods cies. However, the 5G NR bands nect the Tempo back to their nearest or business districts with multi-story actually have limited spectrum or fiber optic line POP, which was more office buildings and other operations. bandwidth for FWA Gigabit speed than a mile away, with a 5Gbps Full This “digital poverty” – or some- services, whereas fixed 5G millimeter duplex link. Furthermore, given the times called “digital deserts” – is a wave bands such as the V (60 GHz) emergency conditions, the connection

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on mmWave Innovations from the Tempo to an Internet POP needed have at least 5 Gigabits of capacity and quick installation. The project started on June 22nd and less than a month later. This demonstrates again the efficacy of a mmWave solution as, for instance, connecting a fiber optic line to the fa- cilities would have taken months and costed much more. The Tempo now offers Internet Access to its residents through a network of more than 200 WiFi APscovering 265,000 square feet. Supporting hundreds of users, retail operations and guests, the traf- fic generated by this WiFi network and the Tempo can be measured in Gigabits. Our second example concerns the DigitalC initiative in Cleveland. Digi- talC came out of the One Cleveland project in 2015 and carries on the latter’s mission to connect the citi- zens of Cleveland to true broadband services. Cleveland currently ranks in the top 5 of “least connected” cities David Sumi, VP – Marketing, Siklu in the US. More than 45,000 resi- dents have no Internet connection at The school district in Cleveland and scratch. all and more than 30,000 residents in the mayor were trying to solve this DigitalC reached out to Siklu directly addition to that lack true broadband. issue with incumbent providers. But for help in not just supplying the wire- This situation developed in scat- these were all wireline (cable/fiber) less systems, but with network design tered pockets of the city, wherewired solutions which did not exist in these and deployment, residential installation infrastructure was poor or non-exis- areas and would take months or more and service turn up. DigitalC relied tent. And those conditions remained and millions of dollars to implement. upon Siklu to give them a complete, that way simply because people could Not to mention at a monthly price operational Gigabit network. DigitalC not afford the $75/month that large many cannot afford. supplied the list of customers and service providers would charge for DigitalC knew about the capabilities where they lived – Siklu was respon- high speed Internet access. As a of the fixed wireless access option, sible for the rest. result, there was no financial incen- but had concerns about the viability Reaching out to local contractors tive for these service providers to of the legacy sub 6GHz equipment Siklu leveraged community resources extend the fiber optic lines and other in the area. This band cannot sup- to bring this vision to reality. As of equipment into these areas in order to port the Gigabits of capacity people November 2020 in little more than a make available high speed offerings to need is susceptible to interference few weeks more than 100 homes or these locations. The cost of trench- from a variety of Wi-Fi and other MDUs are now enjoying high speed ing new fiber, the time it would take, electronic sources. This interference connectivity, many for the first time resulted in an unattractive ROI and deteriorates the signal quality or can ever. Over the next few months hence nothing was done. even break the connection. However, DigitalC and Siklu will be working hard And then COVID-19 hit and what wireless was the only option as the to bring true broadband to the 40,000 was a problem became absolutely neighborhoods needing access had unconnected citizens of Cleveland. devastating – no broadband meant no infrastructure at all -- no fiber, no This project demonstratesclearly the no work, no school. Thousands of backbone and especially no connec- power of Fixed 5G – rapid time to students had no way to attend the tivity for the last 100 feet. Everything market, extremely cost effective, and virtual classes, all that were available. would have to be deployed from available to everyone.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on 5G in India Industrial IoT Right in the Middle of India’s 5G Revolution

With telecoms and enterprise moving forward to embrace the next generation in communications technology – 5G is going to play a critical role towards driving productivity to the next level and Industrial Internet of Things or IoT is right in the middle of this 5G revolution in India. Zia Askari from TelecomDrive. com speaks with Lt Gen Dr. SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI about the astonishing success of India’s telecom story, how the industry is looking forward to embracing 5G and what are the most relevant use cases of 5G going to be in India. India’s telecom story is quite astonishing and has been a leading light for many other countries. Where do we go from here now? The growth of telecom in India has investments in the sector. Earlier this depends on how telecom evolves in been astonishing over the past few year, the government also raised the the coming months. years. With a subscriber base of more FDI cap for telecom from 74 percent than 1.2 billion, India now stands as to 100 percent. How does COAI look at today’s the second-largest telecom market in While the outlook is positive in telecom market in India? Are the world, not only in terms of mobile many aspects, the industry, in reality, there more challenges or and internet customers but also on is going through tough challenges. opportunities here? the number of app downloads. The The Indian telecom companies, known The telecom market in India industry is a major contributor to the for the lowest tariff in the world, are promises huge potential, but it can country’s GDP. It is set to grow as the grappling with several challenges be realized only if the industry gets second-largest smartphone market such as Low ARPU, competition over the financial and regulatory globally by 2025 and is also expected from unlicensed OTT players, high constraints. While there are to have 88 million 5G connections by spectrum pricing. The upcoming challenges, opportunities also exist. 2025 (GSMA). months are very crucial for the During the pandemic, we saw how Lower tariffs and the availability of telecom industry as the government telecom and IT took over almost all affordable smartphones were among has announced spectrum auctions. the activities performed by humans the key factors that contributed We emphasize on the fact, that at workplaces digitally. Almost all to the wider adoption of wireless telecom networks are integral to sectors were able to evolve quickly to technologies in the country. pursue the ambitious digital projects manage this crisis only because they Liberalized government policies like that the Government of India, under had a robust telecom infrastructure to the National Digital Communications the leadership of Prime Minister rely on. Teleworking, online education, Policy (NDCP) 2018 is expected to Narendra Modi, has envisioned. Thus, e-commerce, smart factories, and boost growth and enhance foreign the future of Indian economy greatly others - the list goes on. Now, this

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on 5G in India trend will continue as citizens have multifarious section of the society. all the stakeholders including the adopted them as part of their lives, Industrial IoT is one of the focus Government. The industry also needs leading to the importance of telecom areas of 5G in India. IoT in India is regulatory and financial backing from networks even more crucial for the estimated to grow rapidly to achieve the government. normal day-to-day functioning of the around 2.7 billion IoT units in India by society. the end of 2020 and around 100 billion What are some of the big With 5G at the doorstep, a number units by 2035. Fleet management, challenges that you see in of use cases are being developed. asset tracking, smart metering and India’s telecom turf today? How 5G networks are known for their connected vehicles are some of the is COAI helping the industry higher capacity and lower latency, current use cases of IoT in India. IoT here? so it can support data-intensive will move to the center stage with 5G. The biggest challenge facing the applications. In India, 5G is set to With 5G launch expected in 2021, telecom industry is the financial dramatically transform the industrial, new use cases are likely to evolve. health of the sector. . A number of farming, healthcare and government Sectors like farming, healthcare, factors can be attributed to this: sector. Modern technology trends education, utilities, and more will be 1. AGR and its implications: The like Internet of Things (IoT), Edge the top beneficiaries. In farming, the verdict mandated operators computing, smart factories, smart to pay off around Rs 1.43 lakh homes, telemedicine and various crore in AGR within a period of applications supported by Artificial 5G is set to transform 10 years. The verdict is said to Intelligence (AI) are the emerging industrial, farming, have a long-term impact on the 5G opportunities that can radically healthcare and industry, as it will put severe transform the economy of India in capex/opex constraints on our government sector the coming years. With the Prime member TSPs. Minister’s vision of making self- 2. Debt and tariff: India has sustainable communities through the lowest telecom tariff; digital empowerment, telecom conversely Indian telecom infrastructure is expected to get all industry owes a huge debt to the backing from the government. the government. The industry high-speed 5G network with near debt stands at around 8.5 lakh How do you look at 5G (and zero latency can support the use of crores. Such obligations also its localized use cases) as a sensors in crop monitoring and related mean that they will not have key enabler for India’s digital applications. For healthcare, remote adequate cash flow for the enablement? How are operators surgery, 24x7 patient monitoring next two years at least. COAI gearing up to enable this in the and teleconsulting are some of the has been raising the demand near future? immediate possibilities. With vast for setting a floor price with The fifth generation of network network coverage, 5G can support immediate effect to protect the technologies (5G) is believed to be the online education initiatives in rural industry from a collapse. faster, smarter and more efficient India, a key mission undertaken by the 3. Spectrum availability and than 4G. With 5G offering 10Gbps Digital India project. Similarly, digital pricing: There is need by the data rate (10 to 100x improvement banking that has gained significant cabinet to reconsider the high over 4G and 4.5G networks), momentum during a pandemic is base price of the spectrum. 1-millisecond latency, up to 100x the expected to get wider coverage with Lower reserve price will number of connected devices per the ubiquitous connectivity offered by support TSPs to focus on unit area (compared with 4G LTE), 5G. achieving objective of ‘Digital 99.999% availability, 100% coverage, The impact of 5G on public India’, while allowing TSPs to and 90% reduction in network infrastructure will be huge. Smart make investments in expansion energy usage compared with current cities characterized by connected of service. The industry has technologies, new use cases can also roads, energy networks and smart been constantly taking up the be developed. India, on its path to homes are integral components of issue of reduction in spectrum becoming a fully digitized economy modern, developed society. In India, which can be used for 5G and can leverage the power of 5G to the transformation has already begun. services with the Govt. There is create new opportunities and bring To take that forward, we need a also a need for iidentification of inclusive development across the robust 5G ecosystem supported by a clear road map for availability

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on 5G in India

of spectrum. There is a need to Minister Narendra Modi. With 5G epidemic like the COVID 19, telecom adopt long term perspective being the next big wave for telecom, networks take over the primary w.r.t spectrum pricing i.e., have India has set an ambitious plan to function- communication- and help long term benefits in mind establish 5G manufacturing facilities, the authorities deal with it effectively. rather than short term benefits backed by both the government and Unlike the other calamities that are in terms of generating revenues private players. short-spanned, COVID has been here from auction. The Government The Make in India policy, an integral for months, and its impact will be needs to set affordable pricing part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat, will visible across the globe for at least for spectrum auction to allow not only help Indian firms become a decade. Thus, the industry should widespread applicability and self-reliant but will also safeguard be prepared to address the ongoing also ensure availability of the nation’s interest on intelligence and emerging needs from across all contiguous, interference free matters. With telecom network verticals. spectrum. 4G auction is also a acting as the lifeline of all government The most notable impact is the priority; with a lot of spectrum and private organizations, the task shift toward work-from-home culture. with operators expiring next becomes even more imperative. India Inc. has quickly adapted to the year there is urgent need Traditionally, we not invested heavily remote work culture, all thanks to for them to buy spectrum in R&D and hence have been left digital technologies and the availability otherwise it can lead to impact behind in the IPR game, so going of cheaper data services from on quality of service. forward we have to incentivize R&D if the carriers. Since the nationwide In view of the current concerns, we want to make Atmanirbhar Bharat lockdown imposed in March, there COAI has urged the government to a reality and we must also consider have been 24-28% jump in demand intervene and support the industry Open Source as a serious business for mobile and internet services by adopting a number of measures opportunity and become smarter in residential areas of tier two and including the refund of unutilized at trade negotiations. This all has to three cities. As a result, the hiring of input tax credit or granting the TSPs be supplemented by a supporting engineers and maintenance and repair soft loan at MCLR rate with GST ecosystem for businesses, where executives has increased by 18-20%. input credit as collateral. COAI also doing business is easy and convenient However, connectivity and urged the government to rationalize from approvals to trade practices. bandwidth constraints are impacting the regulatory levies, by reducing the Government has initiated a slew the services in many places. Last effective rate of the Spectrum Usage of measures to encourage domestic mile connectivity is still a problem in Charge (SUC) by 3% and reducing manufacturing, including raising sub-urban and rural areas. Telecom the licensing fee to 1%. Another key custom duty of 5G imports. Such providers confront several regulatory demand from the industry is to enact measures will largely benefit domestic hurdles such as RoW while rolling a uniform Right of Way (RoW) policy players and make cheaper equipment out fiber in many places. The myths across all the states in India. Also available for the industry. Government associated with cell tower radiation going forward, there is need to look at also announced Production Linked have emerged as yet another redefining the AGR definition, so that Incentives Scheme for telecom roadblock for ensuring connectivity its implications doesn’t not impact the equipment manufacturing worth Rs in both rural and urban areas. industry adversely. 15000 crores, which could be available These concerns demand immediate for five years. Earlier TRAI had also attention from the authorities. Our PM has launched the recommended setting up an R&D It won’t be an exaggeration to say “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” fund for telecom, but no major steps that the health of the country is initiative. Where are we today on have been taken on this so far. decided by the health of its telecom this and moving forward, how network. In today’s digital era, can India’s telecoms embrace In light of the ongoing pandemic where every task is controlled by this and truly become self- and work from anywhere machines, and almost every machine reliant? concepts...What are some of the is connected by telecom network, India is blessed with plenty of big trends that you think will nation’s progress rests on telecom natural resources and manpower. be important for accelerating infrastructure. Thus, we hope 2021 With the right technology support and success for India’s telecoms in will be the year of Telecom and government backing, telecom industry the year 2021? that the telecom industry gets the can take the lead in Aatmanirbhar When a nation confronts a right deal from the government and Bharat initiative launched by Prime calamity, be it flood, earthquake or an regulatory body.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Will telcos take the shot at this century’s top opportunity? Throughout most of the 1900s computing has shifted becoming today an extension of our lives. However, the 21st century is going to be marked by a much deeper form of interaction between us and data. Dennis Chan, AVP – OTT, international Business, at HGC Global Communications, discusses edge computing and how telcos can ensure they survive a new wave of do or die for the sector.

By Dennis Chan, AVP – OTT, international Business, HGC Global Communications

dge computing is much more than just a game to bring latency down. It is a shift in computing that is fundamentally altering the Eway we build and scale infrastructure, how we serve a market that is ever more global, and it calls for novelty and cutting-edge thinking in how the ICT industry works as one. Even before the edge system technology become a hot topic, we were already seeing a lot of internet companies building the now so called “close to the end user platform” – often used as a definition of edge itself, processing power more locally. This is already especially true for gaming companies. With 5G starting to be deployedon a mass scale and making data transfers faster than ever before, being closer to the end user is key to create a unique ecosystem to retain the customer on a given platform as long as possible. This is crucial to improve customer experience as well. Even though right now edge still does not have a technical or official Dennis Chan, AVP – OTT, international Business, HGC Global Communications definition, we see a lot of attempts to define it with a lot of companies how things are done. The application we still have about eightmilliseconds deploying their own edge. is always key because twomilliseconds of data journey times. On the other hand, edge computing or threemilliseconds are considered What we can clearly see today is is going to be driven by applications. low latency, but if you look at the real that use cases are different and that That is an important part of the deployment of 5G, from the mobile will be a determining point on the puzzle and a significant rewriting of handset to the base station, in reality, whole edge deployment and evolution

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Trends and Predictions of edge itself in the coming years. their phones to play. make use of our systems. We cannot For some use cases, such as Another use case that I believe is start behind, so we must, as an entertainment or cloud gaming, about to make the business case for industry, get the ball rolling fast. the urgency of deployment of the edge, is the internet of things (IoT). Additionally, HGC has adopted a edge does not necessarily need to As a result of the massive smart IoT consultative approach and we are able be so extreme compared to other devices deployment, allied to the to combine our network infrastructure verticals and use cases, for instance, fast expanding mobile economy, the and in-country business intelligence autonomous driving or critical medical amount of data that needs to be to provide one-stop shop solutions requirements. processed in the main data centre for the gaming industry and start-up In the future, edge computing will overload the systems. And this is businesses, especially for the mobile will be built on different scenarios, obviously not cost effective. streaming game segment. depending on the use case. We Ultimately, a high level case for the More specifically, we have built are moving towards a bespoke edge is real time human interaction. a robust portfolio on fine-tuned infrastructure and software world, This will be the key use case to IP transit routes which allows us far from the days when IT was given energise edge. If you look at the to deliver a least-hop, direct local “little choice” – little based on the cases of real time human interaction connections that provide ultra-low opportunities with edge - between in gaming, for example, this is crucial latency. Such high quality connections hardware and technologies. to interact with other players and are ideal for time-sensitive and win. This will happen to serve a location-aware use cases such as Gaming as a disruptor market where people are willing to online gaming. Cloud gaming is today one of the pay the money for faster and real HGC, being one of the market- major motivation drivers for edge time connections.After all, the “as-a- leading infrastructure and ICT deployments. We have seen gaming Service” age is only at the beginning. solution providers in Asia, the all- companies deploying edge computing encompassing network coverage servers overseas to serve their cloud Telco’s edge with major ISPs, regional MNO, gaming platforms. This is not an up Obviously, to serve any of the use local Internet Exchange and local and coming trend, this is happening cases, we can no longer 1) work commercial/residual broadband right now. in silos; 2) wait for demand to hit. providers internationally will also allow Research house Niko Partners Telecommunication companies, data the company to optimise routing and expects 10 of Asia’s top gaming centre providers, hyperscalers and facilitate service customisation to markets - Indonesia, Malaysia, the wider technology and software achieve ultra-low network latency. Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, ecosystem must now join forces and On top of it, we also work with Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and adapt to this new age. customers to understand how we can India - to reach 826 million gamers For telcos, in terms of best serve them on the application and generate $42 billion in revenue infrastructure, from an edge layer. Again, fibre and data centres by 2024. When considering China perspective, they are bound to be are enablers, but what drives the use and the Asia-10, these represent the key ingredient for those edge case is the application. more than 50% of the world’s mobile ecosystems. For example, fibre Overall, I foresee telco companies games market revenue, and more networks and data centre/hosting are evolving more around the than 60% of the world’s PC game sites worldwide are two main workload. The use case they will serve revenue. And this is only the Asian components to building up edge is the answer as to how they will help segment, there is a whole world out computing. edge computing itself transform, and there where today, nearly three billion When it comes to edge computing, to let the market adopt edge as soon people are already regular online telecommunication companies as possible before demand outpaces players. need to start earlyexpanding the the industry’s capability to cope. Online gaming, cloud gaming, infrastructure covergae before the Telco companies are eager to shift Esports, Gaming-as-a-Service, no use cases and full-on demand kick in. their models around the application matter what you call it, is indeed one We can see these sort of use cases layer to serve this edge computing of the main use cases that driving already in some countries, and based century. Only with a vision, the can- edge computing, especially with 5G on our own experience, it is proven do approach, solid infrastructure and becoming more extensively available. that this model of preparing for connectivity, the world can embrace This is in part being driven by a rapid demand, works. We cannot wait until this new technology zeitgeist that is growth when it comes to people using the useris in the market looking to edge computing.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Innovations and Disruptions Guavus: Powering Innovations in Big Data Analytics

As the communications service provider (CSP) community is working towards stretching their network capacity and coverage to provide better customer experience and move to 5G – they need innovative, real-time analytics in order to drive success and deliver exactly what their customers need and exactly when they need it.

This is where Guavus plays a critical role with its Guavus-IQ big data analytics portfolio which helps CSPs get business- critical ‘outside-in’ and ‘inside-out’ insights on customer experience and network operations. As part of the Disruptive Telecoms report - Alex Shevchenko, CEO of Guavus, speaks with Zia Askari from TelecomDrive.com about Guavus’ key priorities today and why Big Data Analytics is going to play an even more critical role for operators and their customers in 2021. What are the key priorities for Guavus today? Our primary focus is on what we call ‘outside-in’ and ‘inside- out’ big data analytics for CSPs. We focus on two main aspects.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Innovations and Disruptions

We help our customers to analyze of the human capacity to do all that more complex. At the same time, the in real-time how each of their and that’s where you definitely need readiness of users to pay more is not subscribers is experiencing their the machine to help you. You need there and that becomes a P&L trap network and services (bringing the to have the most modern way of for CSPs – where cost is increasing outside perspective in) and how analyzing data in real-time – and higher than revenue. Not only finding their network is impacting each of make real-time decisions based on new revenue sources but more fully their subscribers (how their internal that data and to have systems that optimizing the network are critical. operations are impacting each are self-evolving-- that’s where AI That’s where our Ops-IQ comes in – subscriber). And we do this in a and Machine Learning (ML) come it analyzes the patterns of network highly correlated way. Our Guavus- into play. behavior and all the data processed, IQ portfolio is based on these two detects anomalies, identifies root main pillars – Service-IQ, providing How is Guavus driving more issues, and triggers action that analytics on subscribers and devices, value for CSPs from this data target real issues -- or prevents and and Ops-IQ, providing analytics on revolution using AI and ML? anticipates issues in the future. It network operations. With this increasing demand in both focuses maintenance of the network the number of new services provided on the right aspects, thereby reducing How important is Big Data as well as higher SLAs -- driven maintenance needs. All this leads to a Analytics for CSPs? by the pandemic, 5G and digital decreased costs for operators. I think it is extremely important and transformation – there is increased we are in the midst of accelerating demand for more advanced insights How important is India as a demand for analytics. Our industry on user behavior and reacting in real market for Guavus? has been talking about the digital time. Our portfolio is ideally poised to The Indian market is extremely transformation – the need for serve these needs. important for us, both business-wise this transformation, the new With our software, we are helping as well as for our operations. We have technologies, the dawn of 5G in the our customers, some of the leading a large R&D site, delivery teams, and telecom market – and then all of CSPs in the world, to improve their a number of data scientists located in a sudden we have this pandemic, customer experience by applying AI- India. which is obviously a terrible thing based analytics to better understand India is the largest of three key but has managed to have a huge on how each individual user of their office locations for Guavus worldwide, impact on the acceleration for digital network is acting and quickly react and our Indian site is the fastest transformation. The behavior of to the changes in their behavior. We growing. It is a great market for users has been changing significantly provide the highly correlated ‘outside- engineering but also for data science; throughout 2020 – it’s not just about in’ insights on their user experience we’ve seen a growing number of very the growth of GBs being consumed and the ‘inside-out’ insights into high-quality data scientists in India. by all the people now working from the how their network operations And from the business side, India is home, it is a total change in user are impacting each customer. And one of the largest telecom markets behavior. So CSPs have to deal with our solutions help their customer in the world. The number of users many more data requests, much care, marketing and other teams is amazing. And India is a growing higher demand for their services, take quick and automated actions, market for IoT, another big area of and demand for higher SLAs. And grouping dynamically the users of the focus for us and our parent company, in this new scenario, being able to network and taking immediate actions Thales. look ahead and serve these changing to improve and steer their user There are also other initiatives user needs (vs. reacting later on) experience. Our technology allows our which are not directly linked to is what is going to differentiate the customers’ networks to ‘self improve’ telecom but where we have a successful service providers from over time – increased data on user presence through our CSP customers other. It means that as a service behavior enables more precise advice and through Thales. Vertical industry provider you need to react in real and actions, and ultimately a better initiatives like smart cities, healthcare, time to the changing patterns of user experience. and the utility business also have your users’ behavior, and on the With the huge increase on the load big potential for us because we are other hand you need to intelligently of their networks, trying to meet investing in technologies to enable deal with a dramatically increased enterprise-grade user demands and preventive or ‘smart’ maintenance for load on your network. In both cases, a more complex 5G infrastructure, any industry which requires telecom we’re already facing the threshold operating networks become a lot services.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Innovations and Disruptions

What are some of the innova- more developments and partnerships who can provide these services. And, tions or market disruptions that in this space in 2021. hence, operators will face this as a we can look forward to from And the third key area of innovation challenge to contain this churn and Guavus in the coming months? for us is in 5G – AI-based big data at the same time be able to react I will speak about the three main analytics is core to 5G network quickly and deliver the right service to groups here. First, we will keep on design. It’s no longer a nice-to- their users – before they go to their implementing new use cases for our have, it’s a must-have. It’s critical to closest competitor. AI-based analytics portfolio for CSPs. addressing the increased complexity And it is not only about digitization, Guavus-IQ has a strong it is also about having roadmap and we will be the ability to react in rolling out a number of real-time. With the new products over the growing amount of coming months. We’ve data to deal with, more been working with our people working from CSP customers on a home, accelerated lot of new use cases digitization, and 5G for subscriber analytics, -- CSPs cannot simply network optimization, add more staff to deal and many others. with it all. Our products are The leading players tailored specifically for in the market will have CSPs. There are plenty to put the analytics of analytics solutions through all the pillars targeting the enterprise of their business – and market, and they’re use analytics as their doing a good job at it. But with any and volume of data that comes eyes and ears to be able to operate generic or horizontal solution, they with 5G. We are going to play a their networks and address all the will have some weakness for CSPs pioneering role in this space. We challenges. There is also the need for – oeprators’ needs are very different are already investing in having a real-time analytics in the cloud. All the than most enterprises, and their dedicated offer for the Network Data products and solutions will have to be networks much more complex and Analytics Function (NWDAF), being cloud-native. And there is this trend handling far greater data volumes. defined as part of the 5G Core (5GC) of integration with 5G standards We’ve been solely focused on the architecture standard by 3GPP. So within the telecom market. providing analytics to the telecom that when CSPs design their 5G Service providers will have to add market for 14+ years now. We networks, they don’t have to struggle more dimensions to their business continue to work with our telecom with how they are going to implement and their offerings. They are already customers and know them better the analytics and how they are going addressing various enterprise than most in the market, and together to build system elements plugged into verticals like healthcare, automotive, come up with new analytics use cases the analytics. transportation management, utility that drive new business and reduce These are some of the key areas management…and I think this trend costs. where we’re going to innovate and will increase in 2021. The second key area for us is the offer new products in 2021. And this will bring more Cloud. We recently announced the convergence between IoT and less next phase in our relationship with What are some of the top trends digitized industries and telecom. That Amazon Web Services (AWS). We in Big Data Analytics you expect is where CSPs need to have better have implemented our Guavus-IQ to see in 2021? analytics solutions that can allow solution on AWS so that customers I think CSPs will face an increasing them to work with their own telecom who use Amazon cloud services can challenge with user churn because data but also work on data coming easily plug-in the subscriber and there is a clear digitization of the user from each of the enterprise industries. network analytics into their solutions. journey and users working from home We’ll continue to work closely with It is important for us to not only be still want enterprise-grade services. Thales, a leading IT provider in many cloud-enabled but also to be cloud- So this means that users will look of these vertical industries, to offer native. So you’ll see us announce for better services and operators innovative analytics solutions.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Innovations and Disruptions How Internet based Companies are Driving Innovation If you ask me, what are the most profitable businesses – the answer is Internet based software companies and they are the ones driving most innovations and meaningful disruptions today

By Herb Levitin, President at WebShareSoftware, WholesaleConference and GoConference

Innovation is the most important support toll-free, free and direct VoIP company called Spectel that was later factor in today’s success for any over the Internet teleconferencing acquired by Avaya. business and yes most of the services. We designed our software In Houston, Texas there was a innovation we see today is driven by to be easily brandable and we have branch of the global accounting firm Internet based companies. an extensive API that is used by web Arthur Anderson. Arthur Anderson Keeping the above thought in conferencing companies that is similar had a significant client in Houston mind, we designed and developed to the API provided by Twilio. named Enron. Enron was responsible GoConference which is delivering a Our software can generate a for building many global infrastructure lot of innovation by enabling seamless residual income or it could be sold to companies including a very large teleconferencing services for our Tier 2 web conferencing companies or telecom consortium that built out a customers. large corporations wanting to reduce global fiber optic network. One of the Our e-commerce software with the their teleconferencing costs to near 12 global facilities that Enron built was addition of our API that was written zero. Now, a little background on how sold in a New York bankruptcy court for GoToMeeting is now available we entered this market. to a Las Vegas based company that is to acquire. And we can offer toll- Sixteen years agowe were running now public corporation called Switch. free teleconferencing and also free our own distribution business that Our equipment has been installed in conferencing using PSTN numbers sold Cisco routers and voice and the formerly Enron owned facility in and direct VoIP connections over the data services from multiple carriers. Las Vegas now owned by Switch for Internet. We were also trying to sell large over 16 years. Our software has a global market to teleconferencing bridges from a Enron it turns out was cooking the

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Innovations and Disruptions books to make their profits look much received his PhD in better than they actually were. Quite Computer Science a bit apparently. Arthur Anderson’s from UCSB. Houston office was the accounting When I met Klaus firm for the public company Enron. he had already Enron collapsed in a very short period sold his ExpertCity of time when it was realized that company to Citrix for Enron’s numbers were not real. All around $240M and of Enron’s employees lost their jobs was expanding the and their pensions. Arthur Anderson web conferencing also went out of business as public product now renamed CPA firms have fiduciary responsibility as GoToMeeting. to publish the truth. Felons need Included with a not apply for jobs with fiduciary GoToMeeting responsibilities. Arthur Anderson subscription was went out of business and became free teleconferencing Accenture. service. Klaus and Arthur Anderson’s Houston office our development had a Spectel teleconference bridge team defined an which we acquired on Ebay. The API which we wrote global teleconference market is and implemented. large but it requires not only a lot of Remember I said Klaus capital to purchase the equipment, was a very bright it requires your own software fellow? Besides selling development team. It requires a ExpertCity to Citrix, Herb Levitin, President at WebShareSoftware, Whole- complex set of software to turn a Klaus had a contract saleConference and GoConference teleconference bridge into a residual with AOL to open up the income business. You have to provide German market to AOL. It was and is Taiwan and has many software real-time information and control to a very large market, but AOL did not patents including Apple QuickTimeVR, the client along with all the invoicing pay Klaus. Klaus had to take AOL to the world’s first virtual reality and credit card processing required the Santa Barbara county courthouse software. I was also the virtual of an Internet based business. We where he was awarded somewhere President of Persony and negotiated had to write our software using PHP, around $300M from AOL. A contract with Avaya to acquire Persony. MySql, perl, java, C++, Python and is a contract. We also have recently integrated use the SDK from Spectel that was So, our e-commerce software our API with a Tier 2 web full of major errors. Our e-commerce with the addition of our API written conferencing company to dramatically software was the first self-help for GoToMeeting is now available lower their costs from Twilio™ from solution for the teleconference to acquire. We can offer toll-free a variable price per minute to a flat market and is also very easy to create teleconferencing and also free rate fee. There are many more Tier 2 brands or private labels to large conferencing using PSTN numbers web conferencing companies trying clients. and direct VoIP connections over the to compete against GoToMeeting™, We are based in Santa Barbara, Internet. WebEx™ and Zoom™. There are also California which is also the home for We also have thousands of many global companies that would the University of California Santa teleconference ports of Avaya like to lower their current cost per Barbara (UCSB). UCSB was one equipment. Our API was also used minute for teleconferencing to a zero of the original nodes of the DARPA by Persony in their web conferencing cost per minute solution. network which later became the software to integrate PSTN calls with Watch our video and give me a call. Internet. A very bright fellow from their web conferences. The link to This is a unique opportunity to own an Germany named Klaus Schauser our video demo of our API working Internet based software company in a came to UCSB to study Computer with the Persony web conferencing global market. Here is our link to the Science under Glen Culler, the software can be found in our display landing page that has our short video professor in charge of the DARPA ad in this issue. and API documentation: network project. Klaus Schauser The owner of Persony is from https://www.goconference.com/ opp

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Innovations and Disruptions AB Handshake, the brand new A-number spoofing “vaccine” of choice for voice telecom operators!

By Andreas Hipp, CEO, Cataleya

obocalling using spoofed signaling flows. However, this only A-numbers is not only covers a limited set of call anomalies annoying Americans but and A-number spoofing cannot be Rirritating consumers all captured. over the world. Many other types The arrival of the AB Handshake of abuse cases are also prevalent framework suddenly changes that in Europe, encouraged partly by landscape and paired with our carriers charging a fee on top of the own capabilities now provides an termination rates for calls originating unparalleled “vaccine” for this “illness”. from outside of Europe. As one can imagine this practice is just ripe for How does it work? fraud, as faking European A numbers AB Handshake service enables calls has become a real challenge to validation and provides technological contend with. solution to support global cooperation For years, operators are working at the market. hard to find solutions to identify this It connects originating and particular fraud scenario amongst terminating operators via an many others, but no comprehensive encrypted HTTPS channel and makes solution is available that works across it possible to exchange call details network technologies or does not in real-time and compare the results involve complex look up or verification to check if the call took place, was mechanisms that are expensive. terminated to the end user and was that relies upon the manipulation of We at Cataleya have also worked received from the original number of traffic by intermediaries. Processed for many years on providing efficient the caller. in parallel to the call set-up, the analytics solutions to our Session AB Handshake ensures that any “handshake” gives both the A and B Border Controller customers that help voice call is validated by both the parties confirmation that the call is identify various fraud types that can originating and terminating operator, connected as intended, otherwise it be identified by monitoring media and making it impossible to commit fraud offers the choice to stop invalid calls automatically. Using straightforward

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Innovations and Disruptions

technology to integrate the if it’s in roaming status. A-number’s charges for verified calls which means handshake with existing signaling and original network confirms it, thus that there are no fees if calls cannot accounting systems, the handshake completing data necessary for call be verified. We also offer an early works for all kinds of telcos across validation. adopter pricing plan that has no setup all kinds of networks (SIP and TDM), Interconnect Bypass: During fees nor a monthly minimum charge. offering a truly universal and cost- Interconnect Bypass, Originating In many cultures across the world effective solution to eliminate fraud. Operator and Terminating Operator a handshake is a gesture and sign In addition some key areas are are matching call details. During of trust. The same principle applies addressed by the AB Handshake this check it’s evident that the to the antifraud framework of AB framework that are usually a big Terminating Operator didn’t Handshake where originator and concern for operators and regulators receive a call with an international terminator shake “hands” and certify such as: A-number, yet received a call with to each other that the call is an Data Privacy: Currently a local A-number, that can’t be original call and can be trusted. international calls go from originating confirmed either,with other call “It’s great to know that with this operator to terminating operator details being identical. We see these partnership all customers of Cataleya through a cloud of international two mismatches and deduce it is will have swift and easy access to our carriers, and A and B numbers are anInterconnect Bypass/Sim Box. validation service. We strongly believe transmitted in open text. Integration to existing switching that the fight against fraud should be The system exchanges A and B platforms:AB Handshake provides a collective effort and we welcome numbers only between originating and different integration options. The such an expansion of our community,” terminating operators through the system allows different types of says Nadejda Papernaia, CEO, AB encrypted out-of-band channel. No network switching equipment such Handshake Corporation. intermediary will be involved or the as switches, SBCs, SCPs and CAMEL We are very pleased about this data exposed to them. gateways to communicate with cooperation and proud to represent a Roaming: The system fully Call registry via standard protocols: solution that matches our philosophy, supports validation of roaming RADIUS, Diameter, HTTP API, business practices and keen ambition calls. When a roaming call is done, SIGTRAN. SIP operators can integrate to protect our customers business. terminating network receives roaming by placing the system’s SIP proxy as For further information please call details and is reaching out to b2bUA. contact us via [email protected] or A-number’s original network to check Pricing: AB Handshake only our website.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on 5G in India Digital Transformation all About Transforming a Business Model

Propelled by new customer needs, an unpredictable demand and remote working scenario – telecoms and enterprise community is embracing digitization in an unprecedented way. Cyient is delivering innovative solutions for CSPs and enterprise to create technology-led opportunities in this new normal. Rohit Kumar, General Manager – Strategy and Partnerships, Communications, Cyient speaks with Zia Askari from TelecomDrive.com about the company’s current focus and its future plans.

From Digital Transformation, today we are moving toward Digital Acceleration and this pandemic situation has driven organizations to go for digitization at an exponential pace. How do you look at this trend and what are some of the big innovations that Cyient is bringing to the market today? The global economy witnessed three fundamental changes since the outbreak of COVID-19—new customer behavior and needs, network services with geospatial and connected equipment, AR, and VR, unpredictable demand, and a AI/ML techniques to optimize site we help our telecom customers significantrise in remote working. All planning, deliver resilient network improve their supply chain reliability of these propelled a rapid migration infrastructure, and manage operations and responsiveness. to digitization across industries. The intelligently for consistent and One such recent example is our crisis also underlined the fact that connected experiences. association with the Telangana State telecom is the backbone of economic Additionally, we partner with Police to provide them with drone- growth, and it will continue to be so in enterprises in their digital journey based surveillance technology and the future. to bring the best-of-breed offerings help implement the COVID-19-related Cyient is a trusted partner for from private networks to digital lockdown in Hyderabad. By providing communication service providers applications. Leveraging our data- situational awareness on a real-time (CSPs) as wefast track their 5G driven solutions for asset tracking and basis, the technology gives the police investments. We combine our management, predictive maintenance, the means to understand and deploy

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on 5G in India resources very quickly to manage free source of innovation and enables business models or revenue streams. evolving situations. Equipped with them to avoid the costs of failures As mobile becomes more powerful surveillance cameras, thermal imaging that are an inherent part of migrating with 5G, we will see ripple effects payloads, and sky speakers for public to new technologies. throughout the manufacturing announcements, Cyient’s drone- We develop customized testbeds industry through the increased based aerial inspection capability is for customers to make the evaluation adoption of automation and robotics positively augmenting the police’s of new technologies faster and more in factories. It will also lead to quicker abilityto combat the spread of the data-driven. Also, our knowledge of real-time analytics for data generated pandemic. industry regulations enables us to through field operations. deal with security restrictions and Cloud Computing is another tool Even though SMBs and other regulatory compliances effectively. for building the new, digitized business organizations want to embrace world. Cloud allows companies to digitization–they still want to What are some of the most scale their IT infrastructure as per do it in a cost-efficient manner. critical and important changing business priorities while How can Cyient help in this technologies when it comes to mitigating the risks of wasted regard? enabling digital transformation resources that inhibited past Digitization is the need of the hour today? investments in technology. for every organization, irrespective A business wanting to go digital IoT is the digital link to connect of itssize and the industry it comes would have to look out for ways to with data and convert it into useful from. While adopting digitization, re-pivot existing business models information for business. With organizations need to look at the to achieve a connected ecosystem insights and analytics coupled with overall ROI of going digital. between individuals (customers, IoT deployments, organizations can Cyient’s continued commitment to staff), business partners, other improve their operational efficiency, deliver unparalleled productivity and businesses, and things. It places become more flexible in responding to cost savings has been recognized the customer at the center of the market demands, and innovate their on multiple occasions. In recognition business, offering new, varied, and products and services in customized of our work for cost reduction, highly-customized experiences in ways. we recently received the Supplier line with their growing expectations. From telecom to healthcare, every Innovation Award for the seventh Some of the most prominent entity’s interaction with its customers consecutive year and the Supplier disruptive technologies affecting involves physical objects or processes. Highest Productivity Award for the telecom players today include mobility, Digital Twins can simulate any aspect fourth year in a row. cloud, IoT, digital twins, AI, and of those objects/processes and help For any business, the key to machine learning. bring the software world’s benefits innovate and embrace digitization Mobility drives digital onto physical assets. The simulation cost-effectively is collaboration with transformation with a radical captures how anasset operates and experienced players. Cyient’s proofs- rethinking of how an organization is maintained throughout its lifecycle. of-concept give our customers a risk- uses technology to pursue new While Digital Twins take several forms, they all capture and utilize data that represents the real world. The possibilities of digitization are endless, and we are limited only by our imagination. Several path-breaking use cases continue to emerge and promise to transform business processes.

If you look at today’s market scenario, what are some of the challenges (technology or non-technology) that you see are most important to be addressed? How do you plan to address these?

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on 5G in India

Digital transformation is all about based systems is perhaps the biggest secured SD-WAN, will play a critical transforming a business’model, impediment to digital transformation. role in addressing these challenges. processes, people, and operations An essential capability required to All these developmentspresent using advanced digital technology enable digital transformation is the a unique opportunity for CSPs to solutions. It is about transforming ability to change these technology expand their revenue stream and the entire company, not just parts. infrastructure islands into a relook at theirinternal processes to However, such transformations connected, digital infrastructure that make them more autonomous and should be undertaken with extreme supports the rapid development intelligent. They need to keep pace care and due diligence not to affect and delivery of new services. Cyient with these developing trends and the organization’s steady-state not only helps in defining and make network rollouts faster, more revenue stream. implementing this roadmap, but also secure, and highly resilient. The top challenges can be classified in obsolescence management to get as: better ROI from these initiatives. What does the future hold for Today more and more workforces Cyient? What are some of the 1. Lack of clear strategic plans are completely working from home areas where the company will be A considerable barrier that halts the and a lot of these workers might be focusing in the coming months? digital transformation juggernaut’s required to work from home forever. Even though saying that we rollout is thelack of understanding How can an organization develop are witnessing an unprecedented of the levers for change, the overall a future-ready strategy in such a phase sounds like a cliché, it is evolution process, and how the end scenario? true. History was not a guide as state would look like. Sticking to a The health risks associated with the we faced the COVID-19 crisis. The defined methodology and adopting pandemic will change how we work combination of a global pandemic it is highly impractical, given ever- and how the workforce is structured. and a significantrecession has never evolving customer expectations. Remote working has already become occurred before. Therefore, the goal Cyient helps customers bring the new norm, and collaboration and is to anticipate a range of possible accurate insights and foresight regular engagement with employees scenarios and prepare to thrive in all through AI/ML and analytics tools to and thought leaders within the of them. enable better decision-making. We organization can help employees We are working with enterprises help our customerschoose business understand and adapt themselves across different verticals and are priorities wisely and,hence, navigate to new models. Businesses will need aligning our products and services in through their digital transformation robust and secure processes to line with the new requirement. We, journey successfully. manage the new physical and virtual at Cyient, are focused on building work environment. and nurturing complex relationships, 2. Limited digital expertise Work-from-home models helped collaborating, and rapidly engaging Creating a winning solution requires most companies navigate through with customers and partners in a specialized approach and hands-on the crisis while maintaining business innovative ways. experience in devising a meticulous continuity. However, to implement it As an engineering company digital strategy, exposure to tools as a long-term or permanent policy, supporting the telecom industry, and technology, and successfully they must specify the objectives Cyient’s preparations would involve transforming a business. Through they intend to achieve. These could enabling ourcustomers to achieve ourrich engineering experience be higher productivity, savings on more service differentiation for both across multiple industry verticals, office infrastructure maintenance, B2B and B2C markets. They must expertise in digital technologies such adjustment of cost-of-living payouts develop capabilities for in-house as IoT, AI/ML, and building a holistic, for workers,better work-life balance automation and enhance customer connected experience through private for employees, and/or higher experience through AI/ML tools. networks, we, at Cyient, partner retention rates. Accordingly, they We are also helping them in unifying with ourcustomers to enable digital can reorganize their technologies, customer data from different channels transformation from concept to resources, HR policies, and KPIs to for actionable insights. deployment and maintenance. keep achieving business outcomes. Our focus on 5G will only Global supply chains will also need becomemore intense from here on 3. Existing islands of technology to be redesigned and optimized as the deployment of a newer, faster, infrastructure for the new operational realities. more robust and effective network is The presence of large, monolith- Technology, including Industry 4.0 and the need of the hour.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com DO YOU HAVE THE DESIRE TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR? Here is an opportunity to own a software company

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Trends and Predictions Telecom 2021: The Path Ahead By James Kirby, SVP & Head of EMEA Business at CSG

s we come off a rough cases that telcos can monetise. A real-world use cases appearing in year, in which rapid fully digital customer experience and 2021. As 5G becomes more of a transformation has been enhanced digital transformation will reality, we will hear a lot more about the key to survival for also be integral to navigating the road 5G killer use cases beneficial to the nearly every industry and ahead. region, such as improvements in oil company,A telecom operators will need and gas industry processes, cloud to view the year ahead as one that 5G will finally become a reality gaming and intelligent surveillance will continue to bring change and New devices are already marking systems . We will also see more disruption. Much of this will be driven their way to the market, and 5G partnerships happening around by 5G, which will evolve from today’s networks deploy on a larger scale, ecosystems in 2021 and 2022, trial deployments to real-world use indicating that we will start to see especially in the enterprise market.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Trends and Predictions

The monetisation discussion calls and customer service requests. will heat up too. We are going to see several factors required of 5G The pandemic called out monetisation solutions, including companies who have yet to proven scalability that seamlessly embrace digital. manages the billions of events per day In 2021, we will likely see two types at ultra-low latency and processes of digital transformation projects. charging volumes with single-second One performed by those who were latencies. However, one thing is behind in adapting to the pandemic. obvious: operators will be looking Next year, these businesses will for flexibility within their digital BSS begin adopting cloud-native business solutions. They will want to know that models that enable them to more they are future-proofing their billing easily pivot, expand their offerings, or for forthcoming 5G services, not just adapt to global market conditions. the ones they are working on right The second will be implemented by now. companies who have been attacking digital customer experience and Customer experience has been use cases as needed but are finally under the magnifying glass. reaching the tipping point where their James Kirby, SVP & Head of EMEA Business With most customer services at CSG legacy infrastructure is giving out. For moved online, the need for self- them, it will make sense to go full-in service options will continue to grow. payments – and up the ante for on business evolution projects. Even after months of High Street servicing customers online and over shut down, consumer behaviours will the phone. James Kirby is Senior Vice President & Head continue to shift, and the end of the The global pandemic also of EMEA at CSG, where he is responsible pandemic will not change this. Digital accelerated the move to the cloud, for go-to-market strategy and sales in experiences have become embedded and this is having a vast impact on CX the region. His expertise in international as call-centre operators work from managed services and sales helps him craft in everyday life, transforming service offerings that improve customer consumer expectations. As such, home. Because of this, 2021 will also experience.James brings nearly 20 years operators will have to reassess how bring an enhanced focus on consumer of business building, customer excellence, they do everything – from selling conversational artificial intelligence sales and delivery experience to his role. He phones to offering contactless (AI) to support the increased influx of has previously held product management, sales and services roles within CSG.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on Open RAN 11 Open RAN Predictions for 2021 By Eugina Jordan, VP Marketing, Parallel Wireless

nce seen as an are faced with deploying “emerging” technology, Open RAN. Open RAN will Open RAN is maturing. be deployed more widely for Open RAN, which has new use cases like very dense been touted as one urban. Oof the most significant trends to And that is where our next transform the telecom industry, took prediction comes in. off in ways no one ever expected in Prediction 3:Large scale 2020. The consolidation of the RAN deployments and urban supply chain and a ban on Chinese deployments. There will be suppliers forced mobile operators more large-scale deployments around the globe to get creative and of hundreds of sites in bans, and in those protected markets open up their network to Open RAN brownfield, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. we’ll see Open RAN flourishing faster faster than any other new technology As we know, many service providers and picking up even more steam in in the past. This was possible by Open have been steadily adding Open RAN 2021. The UK government recently RAN driven innovation, a promise to their already established 2G, 3G unveiled a series of projects designed of TCO savings of up to 40%, and and 4G mobile infrastructure. It goes to push the use of Open RAN to enablement of supplier diversity with without saying that carriers around increase operator supply options, as it the disaggregation of hardware and the globe will be continuing their work set a deadline of end-September 2021 software components. aggressively deploying Open RAN to for the last installations of Huawei 5G From more Open RAN hardware to expand their 2G, 3G, 4G footprints and equipment. Rip and replace funding has large Open RAN footprint buildouts modernize their networks in an effort been approved by the US government, and supporting brand-new use cases to be more competitive in the next five so we will see an approved supplier list like urban deployments, here are years, ensuring their overall network created in 2021 and we predict to see eleven Open RAN trends we predict infrastructure is Open RAN, not just Open RAN suppliers, hardware and for 2021. 5G. Proven in rural, Open RAN will be software, on that list. We also predict Prediction 1: Open RAN is here deployed in urban in 2021 with large- that other countries will impose similar to stay. Nokia, Ericsson, NEC with scale urban Open RAN deployments bans, encouraging the Open RAN their opening of a UK lab – all signs happening in 2022.3GPP, the global supply chain to avoid duopoly dictated are pointing to Open RAN becoming telecommunications standards body, pricing. a part of these big hardware vendors’ agreed to a new extended timeline Prediction 5. Deployment cost product portfolios. Even legacy for the next 5G specification. Known will drive Open RAN adoption in vendors are expecting a significant as Release 17, the schedule now emerging markets. We already see portion of their revenue in just two anticipates completion in 2022, with commitments from large operators years to come from Open RAN. That a freeze in March 2022, followed by like MTN, Orange, and Vodafone to brings us to the next prediction: how coding protocols frozen and stable in use Open RAN to bring coverage Open RAN will beevolving in 2021. June 2022. That is why we see that in developing markets. Those Prediction 2: 2021 is the inflection OpenRAN deployments in 2021 will be deployments will be accelerating in point for Open RAN adoption. mostly for brownfield 2G 3G and 4G 2021. We will see Open RAN used in 2021 will be a year of “disillusionment” networks. emerging markets for any new 2G or as there will be more trials, more Prediction 4. In protected 3G or 4G deployments: vendor choice, deployments, and more findings of markets, Open RAN will thrive. lowest TCO, easy upgradability – will challenges and opportunities that This trend is fueled by Chinese supplier help emerging market MNOs to bring

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on Open RAN connectivity to more end users. In models will emerge addition, it will help them to realize that facilitate the network ROI much faster– and that is deployment of edge why Open RAN will become a leading in production.” technology in developing regions in And this is where 2021 and beyond. This is where our CI/CD will come in. next prediction comes in, covering CI/CDwon’t just on how the ecosystem will evolve to be in the telecom make this happen. data centeranymore Prediction 6: Expanded -- it will be ecosystem, beyond just hardware enabled to push and software suppliers. To meet software updates Open RAN deployment demands, to the edge, to more players will be joining the enableseamless and proverbial party. In addition to software remote upgrades and hardware players, we will see of Open RAN more system integrators and tower sites. As a result, Source: Parallel Wireless companies jumping in to support Open this CI/CD trend RAN as integrators or hosts. This will push along the ML trend in 2021. here for a while, so learning from the will help to define new business and Forrester predicts that public cloud past, MNOs will want to deploy a true deployment models. spending will slow in 2021 in favor of Open RAN platform when modernizing more critical is how an open RAN edge computing spending, and this their legacy systems – which is only ecosystem is sustained through its is where we see ML coming in and possible when RUs and software are market adoption curve. Today we being explored to take over some of able to run over 7.2 radios. And this have the innovators and possibly the manual tasks like drive testing, where our next prediction comes in. early adopters on board. But there helping not only reduce the labor cost Prediction 9: O-RAN support for is a chasm between these and the but also to create powerful algorithms 2G, 3G, and 4G. As more and more majority of operators buying this. True to speed up any siteadjustments operators use Open RAN to modernize multi-vendor open RAN will require and changes. In the long term, we their networks, hardware and software sustained investment from innovative predictthat automation and artificial vendors will be required to make Open operators and the building of strong intelligence will change the way mobile RAN solutions available over 7.2 split partnerships and ecosystems between operators respond to customer and radios. Withsteadier ramp-up to 5G vendors. network problemsbefore the end-user consumer adoption, and therefore, Prediction 7: CI/CD fuels even knows there is a problem.In the slower-to-realize increases in revenue edge computing and gets paired short-term, gains and developments for MNOs, reducing overall network with Machine Learning (ML). will start happening in 2021. cost will be top of mind for mobile Continuous integration and continuous Prediction 8: More Open RAN operators – and that includes 2G, development (CI/CD) will fuel edge hardware from RUs to Massive 3G and 4G deployments, expansions computing, and mobile operators will MIMOs supporting 7.2 split. In or modernization. The strategy of start pairing it up with ML to improve 2021, we will see more hardware modernizing or expanding legacy site automation. A recent report availability, especially supportingthe 7.2 networks with Open RAN will improve stated that edge computing will drive split. Why? O-RAN interfaces come in economics, but supplier resilience can approximately $7 billion in revenue by where 3GPP interfaces don’t exist. A be only guaranteed with commonly 2025. While as much as two-thirds of requirement of vendors supporting supported interfaces (7.2 in this case). this revenue will accrue to the cloud split 7.2 will ensure vendor diversity PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) players, mobile operators will play and interoperability going forward and notes that while device penetration has important roles in deploying and hosting will allow the mixing and matching of stalled at 4% for 5G enabled devices, RAN sites and providing connectivity RUs with CU and DU software that it expects the market will hit atipping to end users and businesses. will be deployed on an x86. point in 2023 (!), where 5G devices will In their Predictions 2021 report, Considering this, we believe more be more accessible.Before 2023, Open Forrester said, “Until now, edge mobile operators will require their All G RAN will be used to modernize legacy computing was promising but still Open RAN solutions to support O-RAN cellular networks. The value of 5G will developing. In 2021, new business 7.2 split. As we know, 2G and 3G will be become increasingly mainstream in

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Business Transformation the next few years when Open RAN site. In theory, CU software can be technology and the supply chain will be hosted in a public cloud, and that could more established and matured. So far, be an option for urban deployments. many operators have failed to get any In summary, there are many tangible revenue from 5G. In the near more operators looking to add Open term, many operators will continue RAN technology to their production to evolve their 5G capabilities, but networks in 2021, including AT&T, BT, a full-grown standalone 5G Open the three major Chinese operators, RAN technology implementation will Deutsche Telekom, Dish Network, NTT take longer as we mentioned in our DoCoMo, Orange, Reliance Jio, SK prediction 3. Telecom, Telus, TIM, Turkcell, Verizon, What do we see as the mobile Vodafone, MTN, Orange, Etisalat and operator’s “insurance policy” for RAN Tier 2 and 3 operators in the US. vendor diversity? Deployment of 7.2 That’s likely why industry analysts compliant O-RAN architectures for are becoming much more bullish about legacy networks. Being able to run the prospects for the Open RAN ALL Gsoftware over 7.2 Open RAN market. RUs won’t be a choice; it will become a Dell’Oro Group had previously requirement. A fully O-RAN compliant expected revenues from Open RAN 2G, 3G, 4G is needed to broaden any hardware, baseband and software 5G Open RAN deployment at scale elements to hit about $200 million this when the time comes. year, but now expects that figure to be Prediction 10: Open RAN about $300 million. The firmpredicts security. Now more than ever, service Eugina Jordan, VP Marketing, Parallel that by 2024, operators will spend providers are focused on their RAN Wireless somewhere north of $3 billion on Open TCO and are relying on Open RAN next year, it is a part of every single RAN products, which is a double-digit more and more as their infrastructure deployment or trial by default. Open share of the market in the next five of choice. And as the Open RAN RAN will enable intelligent and secure years. market is maturing, security is not just path control and traffic-steering based By 2026, ABI Research predicts that a part of the conversation heading into on the application, in rural and urban for public outdoor networks, sales of environments. Open RAN products will reach $40.7 Prediction 11: Role of billion, or 45% share. They also see the Cloud and DU/CU OpenRAN approaching economics of deployment. In 2021, scale in the next few years. as there will be more RAN Research, part of Rethink deployments, the answer Research, is expecting Open RAN to to what to distribute “account for 58% of total RAN CAPEX and what to centralize (Open RAN hardware, software and will be addressed on a services) spending at $32.3 billion and case by case basis. As to be deployed at 65% of all sites by DU functionality is real- 2026.” Source: Omdia time, it will be always co- Omdia’s forecast on Open RAN has located with RUs on site. been raised significantly in the last few There is no realbenefit of months. They now forecast Open RAN placing CU functionality, to see a year on year growth of 250% which is near-real-time, in 2020 to become a $3.2B market in in the data center, and 2024. right now many of the Though numbers vary between OpenRAN deployments analyst firms as we can see, the future co-locate DU/CU software of Open RAN looks very hopeful for functionality on the same sure in the next five years, and 2021 x86 server that is shared will lay a good foundation for that

Source: Omdia between multiple RUs on future across the globe.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on Digital Telco The Rise of ´as a Service´ Solutions: Your Shortcut to the Digital Telco!

By Said Zantout, Head of Solution Area OSS, Core and Cloud at Ericsson Middle East and Africa

hanks to digital Capex constraints are on the transformation, networks rise. Telecoms are increasingly are becoming increasingly looking for delivery models that complex, as are the are not Capex intensive. Finally, services delivered by them. ‘as a Service’ allows operators to TSubscribers expect a network that address rapidly evolving network scales to their needs, offers innovative requirements and achieve digital services and is highly engaging. improved efficiencies by allowing To meet this challenge, operators frequent updates and essentially must embark on the journey to be a eliminating the worry of life-cycle fully digital telco. management of the software. The current mainstream path for operators on this journey involves The benefits of ‘as a Service’ investing in rapidly changing solutions technologies and building digital The benefits of ‘as a Service’ competence in-house to meet the are well known including faster Said Zantout, Head of Solution Area OSS, demand. Ericsson is actively investing Time to Benefit (TTB), reduced Core and Cloud at Ericsson Middle East and in technologies, developing products Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), Africa and participating in open source scalability, speed of deployment, and with other industry leaders. forums to help many of customers significantly lower risk. However, The Ericsson ‘as a Service’ platform who are on this path. Ericsson differentiates its value with focuses on four main areas – Digital While it is a fully viable path, multiple additional benefits such Engagement, Automated Operations, for operators that are looking to as leveraging economies of scale, Digital Service and Ecosystems, and leapfrog the transformation, there is enabling frequent updates, market Programmable Networks. an alternative path emerging: as-a- differentiation, rapid response to Ericsson is an established leader Service (aaS). With aaS, operators customer needs, as well as highly in the telco aaS with offerings such can consume the necessary network predictable revenues. as IoT Accelerator, eSIM Manager, capabilities on demand to deliver The question is, how can Ericsson Communication Accelerator and services their subscribers need. help service providers evolve to a others. With Ericsson’s aaS platform, Several reasons have contributed true digital operator.Well, there are operators are always on the greatest to a rise in demand for ‘as a Service’ four key steps through in the journey software release. delivery. There has been an increase to become a true digital operator Given Ericsson’s technology in general adoption of enterprise through four pillars: leadership and participation in Software as a Service (SaaS) • First, automate your operations. various open source forums, our aaS models, with more and more critical • Second, upgrade your network to platform bring the best of breed infrastructure being involved. an elastic, scalable network. technologies on a secure and resilient • Third, fully digitalize your customer infrastructure that is compliant with ‘As a Service’ – why now? engagements. global regulations. Additionally, the At the same, cloud technologies • Finally, launch new digital services services are continuously improved are maturing at a rapid pace while and build ecosystems together with platform analytics.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on BSS Innovations Private 5G and the Fourth Industrial Revolution By Rajesh Mhapankar, Vice President, Product Management, Alepo Technologies

igital innovation has and/or LTE. But these networks are security solutions, and controlled led us into the fourth expensive to operate and do not SLAs. industrial revolution (4IR), adequately support breakthrough 4IR which is changing the technologies such as machine-to- How private 5G facilitates face of manufacturing machine communication, the internet Industry 4.0 Dacross sectors. 4IR, or Industry of things (IoT), artificial intelligence Deploying 4IR technologies 4.0, enables manufacturers of all (AI), virtual reality (AR/VR), robotics, over private 5G networks affords sizes to boost operational efficiency and more. enterprises a host of benefits. With and lower costs by implementing Private 5G provides a secure and immersive technologies like AI, high-speed connectivity, high- controlled wireless network that augmented reality, predictive analysis, end computerization, ultra-reliable leverages next-gen capabilities such robotics, automation, and IoT tools, a infrastructure, and end-to-end as ultrafast speeds, ultra-low latency, private 5G network helps build smart process automation – advancements reliability, flexibility, and automation, factories. This powerful combination that are possible using private 5G enabling all the smart features of of technologies helps businesses networks. 4IR. It facilitates high-capacity near- collect real-time data, manage Manufacturing is not unfamiliar real-time connectivity anytime and production and business activities, with private networks – many anywhere, integration with industrial and predict outcomes, helping enterprises currently operate on WiFi IoT (IIoT) devices, highly customized increase productivity.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on BSS Innovations

Manufacturing units with production running business- critical activities need infrastructure and applications that require low latency, high reliability, and incessant connectivity without a wired network. This helps them improve flexibility and keep production costs low, while ensuring they can quickly develop, configure, and maintain the infrastructure. They can minimize downtime and production line delays, monitor and manage the supply chain more efficiently, implement heightened quality checks, improve worker safety, and make decisions in real-time using the BI data and analytics available to them. Some private 5G features that help enterprises realize their business goals:

Innovative use cases Private 5G enables use cases such as smart factory floors, drones, human-robot collaboration, digital performance management of connected devices, digital twins, and more. Rajesh Mhapankar, Vice President, Product Management, Alepo Technologies Agility Private 5G does away with bulky different resources to each to improve more productively use the time they’d and limiting cables. It operates entirely overall efficiency. otherwise spend on driving, prevent on wireless technology, enabling the stress of navigating through more flexible processes on the Customizable for different contexts traffic, and help reduce their carbon manufacturing floor. Private 5G networks can implement footprint with green mobility or any combination of next-gen features eco-friendly cars. And these can be Security to meet different enterprise goals. used in closed industrial campuses, The large number of IIoT devices The network also scales for changing where private 5G networks are connected to the network demand production requirements. viable. Private 5G supports the high added provisions to keep the network bandwidth, speed, resilience, real-time secure from cyberattacks and other Private 5G applications across data communication, and low latency potential security threats that are industries they require. Vehicles connected to common with WiFi networks. Private Private 5G benefits various the 5G network also employ edge 5G networks offer stringent security sectors: from healthcare, energy, computing, AI, and IoT to scan traffic options that are constantly updated and automotive production, to and make sound decisions to ensure for threats. drones, autonomous vehicles, and passenger safety. Use cases like entertainment, the possibilities are C-V2X, digital twins, smart traffic Resource allocation infinite. Some first movers, industrial control with prioritization, airborne Enterprises can divide their private and otherwise, include: taxis, car infotainment, vehicle- network into multiple slices, enabling to-vehicle communication, vehicle each network function to operate Autonomous vehicles remote health monitoring, and as a separate entity and allocating Autonomous vehicles let people prognostic maintenance system help

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on BSS Innovations build sophisticated systems. connectivity, real-time data streaming, reality are consumer 3D holograms, network reliability, and low latency trial virtual reality experience, smart Energy and utilities enable remote surgeries, implantable CRM, layout optimizations, inventory Technologies such as AI, machine device monitoring, robot-assisted loss prevention, in-store personalized learning (ML), and data analytics minimally invasive surgeries, promotions, and more. help build a next-gen digitalized telehealth, remote patient monitoring, smart grid, overcoming challenges AR/VR-enabled healthcare, wearables Looking ahead the industry faces due to uncertain and ingestibles, and more. While enterprises such as fuel prices, declining revenue, old Volkswagen, BASF, Google Fi, and infrastructure, stringent regulatory Banks, financial services, and Siemens are among those procuring requirements, and so on. Thanks to insurance their own local 5G networks, many the intelligence collected using 4IR 5G with its ultra-high reliability, others are opting for operator technologies and IoT devices, utility higher data capacity, and low latency deployments. At Alepo, we’ve been suppliers have more control over the capabilities will help banks, finance, early movers in helping operators distributed generation, battery energy and insurance (BFSI) companies implement 5G technology globally, storage, and renewables, making it take customer experience to the and we’re confident that over the easier to transform to smart factories, next level. The integration of private next few years, we will see many reduce operational costs, increase 5G networks, along with IoT devices businesses, especially small and agility, maximize ROI, and enhance medium enterprises, acquiring customer digital experience. Use their private 5G networks through cases include smart street lighting, operators, as they offer several smart energy management, drone unique benefits to enterprises. monitoring, electric vehicles, As an end-to-end solutions smart metering, smart grid, and provider, we forge cross-industry predictive maintenance. partnerships, develop fool-proof cybersecurity plans, and ensure Entertainment and media regulatory compliance, enabling Private 5G finds applications our operator-clients to focus their in broadcasting and media attention on helping enterprises production houses. It is also useful realize their business goals. in the production of live events and systems, will help introduce use Operators can deploy the network such as music festivals, for which a cases such as wearables for payment, over licensed spectrum, their domain temporary network can be allocated internet of moving things, remote expertise means the networks they by operators. Other use cases tellers, and more. provide are more reliable, and they include immersive media (AR, VR, can also leverage network slicing and cloud gaming), enhanced mobile Retail capabilities to offer dedicated advertising using videos and banners, Private 5G will help upgrade the networks over shared infrastructure enhanced mobile media (video, in-store and digital store experience at competitive price points. And music, and games), and new media, for retails. Declining footfall in malls while the operator manages network which includes 3D holographic, in-car and with customers inclined towards activities, the enterprise can focus on entertainment, connected haptic online shopping, retailers are adopting their core business operations. suits, and more. digital technologies to improve customer experience and achieving Healthcare operational excellence. 5G-ready Rajesh Mhapankar, Vice President, Product Private 5G holds the potential to radio-frequency identification (RFID) Management, Alepo Technologies A seasoned professional, technologist, redefine the way hospitals, clinics, tags will help automate in-store innovator, and telecom expert. With over and other healthcare units operate. transactions, facilitate autonomous 20 years of experience in the software Coupled with IoT-enabled automation, check-out by attaching items in industry, Rajesh brings a strong track it facilitates preventative and digitized in-store shopping carts, and record of accelerating product innovations and development at Alepo. He supports monitoring practices using e-health enable the introduction of cashier-less the company’s mission-critical BSS/ and mobile applications, personalized or unmanned stores. Other use cases OSS projects in LTE, WiFi, and broadband medicines, and connected devices. using immersive technologies include networks, including core policy, charging, Features such as high-speed augmented reality, mixed reality, virtual and control elements.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Innovations and Disruptions The New Horizon: Software’s Journey into the Unknown

By Rob Brunetti, Strategy Director, Nokia Software OVID-19 may have stopped us from being able to “rock-out” at a live concert, but for those in the technology Cspace, the coming decade is primed to rock. Get ready for a fist-pumping,heart-thumping ride. The roaring ‘20’s arehere again, and opportunities will abound. Entering a new decade, we stand at a unique point in history. Trillions of dollars in economic output and value is up for grabs. Technology faces the most dramatic period of innovation in a century with potentially six General and consumers are positioned to Innovative technologies enable Purpose Technologies (GPT’s) redefine the world we live in. new levels of experience and value. converging -- think of 5G, blockchain, As the world progresses into the Combined with other exponential artificial intelligence, energy storage, unknown, software rises to the technologies, the pace of disruption robotics, and DNA sequencing– that top as the catalyst for emerging accelerates. The foundations of hold the promise of supercharging technologies.However, the bar has industry are shifting at hyper-speed, economic growth and transforming been raised. creating a vortex of change across the world we live in. The closest everything we know. Some will comparison to this time of innovation Challenging the Status Quo capture the opportunity. Some are is the second half of the 20th century New experiences defy the status already dead and just don’t know it. when the internal combustion engine, quo. 2019 saw the launch of the As an industry, we must do better. electricity and the telephone changed first public company dedicated to In recent years, share price and everything. This is now a huge impact space tourism,with a backlog of market cap growth for telecoms on the demand for software. paying tourists to ride the near edge have been subpar against the S&P From a socioeconomic perspective, of space. Redefining value, a duo 500. Despite the massive spending there are major power shifts of DNA technologies demonstrated on communications services and the across geographies, demographics, that certain longstanding incurable technology cycles of 3G, 4G, and consumption patterns, and business diseases can be cured. How much now 5G, we must ask, “Where’s the model innovation. Concern for would we pay for a personalized pill Beef?!” As crucial as connectivity is, the planet, its resources and or procedure that gives back decades we don’t want to pay much for it. sustainability dominate top-of-mind of lost life? We may soon witness Is technology nearing a plateau awareness. Change is coming fast as Life-as-a-Service (LIFEaaS) paid by with 5G?As we approach limits on governments, corporations, investors, monthly subscription. faster, we need to focus on smarter,

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Innovations and Disruptions using software to innovate “within” connectivity instead of simply letting others innovate “with” connectivity. In the 2020s, roaring louder and prouder than the 1920s means jumping past our comfort zones. Organizations must break the repetitive cycle of using buzzwords and table stakes to differentiate. Competitors seem to be building the same solutions and are depending on marketing to define the differentiation. Champions of change approach rules with a new mindset, and when rules change, things that were impossible become possible. Connecting the unconnected was unrealistic without a rule change to rockets. The 30-second restaurant drive-thru remained a commuter dream until an innovator created a drive-thru serving digital orders only. Black swans change the status quo. What black swans? The World Wide Web turned 30 in 2019. Twenty years ago, Google was in its infancy and Twitter and Facebook didn’t even exist. While it could be argued that Rob Brunetti, Strategy Director, Nokia Software COVID-19 is not a classic black swan event, working remotely sparked learn, conduct financial transactions, thrive. Understanding what digital a sharp turn toward the cloud, seek healthcare, dine, entertain, and transformation means and moving connectivity and advanced security. more. Software stepped in to solve customers into the fast lane of For our industry, the swans are some of the challenges caused by innovation and disruption is critical already in flight. COVID-19, including our human need to success.Software is hungry for Innovators see past the collective to connect. telecom. Now is the time to challenge blind spots and accepted rules of Who will reap the rewards? Despite the status quo. industries. The Telecom industry the economic upheaval of COVID-19, Are you ready to rock!? cannot rest on its laurels. the tech-heavy NASDAQ continues to set new highs as technology trends Rob Brunetti, Strategy Director, Nokia The Digital Horizon take hold. Is Wall Street disconnected Software Nearly a decade into Marc from Main Street? Not really. The With a passion for Strategy, Rob has held various leadership positions over the years Andreessen’s proclamation, software spoils belong to the innovators that continues to eat the world. We are spanning ideation, design, development, harness software’s power to redefine portfolio and M&A.As Strategy Director, entering a new horizon, a digital experiences and the meaning of value. Rob contributes to the creation, evangelism, horizon. Innovative digital technology Companies and entire industries and evolution of Nokia Software’s strategy is everywhere, across all industries, are in the crosshairs of disruptive and vision. He conducts research and analysis to help set strategic direction and and it’s moving fast. innovation and formative shifts. As COVID-19 has only accelerated drive product and solution strategies. Rob we journey into the unknown, we is a Chicago native, where he continues to appetite for disruption. New know smarter software will play a live today with his wife and two children. technologies scaled overnight instead leading role and drive change at hyper Besides focusing on his children’s futures, Rob enjoys roundtable discussions with of years. In a few short months, we’ve speed. Companies embracing change, adopted new behaviors for how we his investment group debating over innovating by design, and creating technologies and companies shaping our work, commute, shop, educate and human-centered experiences will future.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on Future of Networks Strategies for Meeting Network Demand The current pandemic is giving us all an unprecedented glimpse into the future of network bandwidth demand. By Tom Cloonan, Chief Technology Officer, Broadband Networks, CommScope

n our conversations with upstream traffic has increased by modern networks. For example, we customers and through our 30-150% during the day and by built in plenty of headroom to absorb devices in the field, we’ve seen 14-50% at night. downstream SLA bursts, and this is two key trends emerge from the In other words, bandwidth is not now being used for both bandwidth past few weeks when the world only spiking; it’s spiking over much bursts and quiescent operating levels. Ihas been sheltering in place: longer periods of time. And for the The cable modem termination system • Heavy network usage, which used upstream, those spikes are much (CMTS) scheduling algorithms are to spike between 8pm-12am (4 higher than they used to be. doing a very good job spreading out hours) now occurs from 8am-2am First, the good news: We’ve bandwidth use over time. (18 hours). seen minimal impact to quality of Effectively, these measures are • Downstream traffic has increased experience for the vast majority of helping us flatten the BW curve by 26-86% in the daytime and subscribers. That’s due in large part whenever short bursts do occur. by 12-32% at night. Meanwhile, to the forward-looking design of But now, the bad news (rather,

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on Future of Networks the opportunity): Subscribers are rapidly hitting data caps, download and upload times are increasing, and packet delays and drops are interrupting some experiences. This is a taste of what’s to come in the future if we (as an industry) do not begin to upgrade and expand the capacities on our networks. The takeaway for cable operators is clear: In the short-term, maximizing current capacity can go a long way towards serving the immediate demands of consumers, but the only long-term solution is to increase available capacity per subscriber in both the downstream and upstream. Luckily, for cable operators, there is a clear path to achieving future- ready capacity while meeting the extraordinary demands of our current situation. The following is a checklist of Tom Cloonan, Chief Technology Officer, Broadband Networks, CommScope short-term, mid-term, and long-term solutions for cable operators of all o Cable Modem (CM) Changes networks and ensure superior sizes to make the transition from • Add additional DOCSIS capacity well into the future. While managing today’s massive influx of 3.1 CMs utilizing OFDMA they are also the most costly and pandemic-induced traffic to delivering spectrum to leverage complex solutions to implement, the 10G speeds of the future. higher spectral efficiencies they represent the evolutionary step forward for operator networks. Short-Term Solutions Mid-Term Solutions • Long-Term Upstream & The fixes outlined below show some The solutions below focus primarily Downstream Proposals examples of ways to maximize the on making larger-scale plant and o Perform 85MHz Mid-Splits current infrastructure and will likely CMTS configuration changes as (helps with Average and provide between 5-66% improvement well as investing in building network Burst BW growth) in bandwidth capacity. For example, capacity. While these revolve around o Perform 204MHz High-Splits transitioning upstream spectrum from more complex strategies for network (helps with Average and 64-QAM Advanced Time Division upgrade, they have the potential to Burst BW growth) Multiple Access (ATDMA) to 1024- more broadly increase capacity and • Longer-Term Proposals (DOCSIS QAM orthogonal frequency-division strengthen the network. 4.0, 10G Initiative) multiple access (OFDMA) would • Plant Clean-up Changes o Add Ultra-High-Splits or Full represent a 66% capacity increase. o Convert Single Carrier-QAM Duplex DOCSIS FDX (helps • CMTS Configuration Changes (SC-QAM) channels, e.g. 32- with Average and Burst BW o Add additional DOCSIS QAM to 64-QAM operation growth in the US) channels • Upstream and Downstream o Add Extended Spectrum • RF Changes Investments DOCSIS (helps with Average o Perform Virtual Node o Perform Physical Node-Splits and Burst BW growth in the Segmentation (This provides DS) for double the upstream Long-Term Solutions We are living in unprecedented bandwidth) The following solutions are times, but they also represent an • This is the single biggest examples of some larger investments unprecedented opportunity to change to rapidly increase in network infrastructure that will see ahead and plan tomorrow’s significant bandwidth set the stage for next-generation networks.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on Cloud Computing Finance in the cloud: how the financial sector uses cloud technologies 6 use cases for cloud-based companies in the financial sector

By Vsevolod Vayner, G-Core Labs Cloud Platform Department Head

t’s no secret that the relevant to G-Core Labs financial services market customers. This is especially has changed dramatically true for large companies, where over the past decade. security is a strong focus, and Thanks to digitalization, giving new employees and Imany banks and insurance external partners access to companies have partially or internal resources takes longer completely switched from than getting virtual machines in providing services offline to the cloud. digital. In 2020, according to PWC analysts, it is online 2. Ensuring infrastructure services that are the priority stability for financial sector players, As a business grows, so and cybersecurity threats that application to obtain the required do the requirements for are the main risk for them. Digital capacities. This gives the competitors infrastructure, its reliability and speed analytics has almost completely time to bring new services and of recovery in case of failures. Data replaced other market forecasting features to market. However, thanks loss can result in large financial and tools, and the public cloud will to the cloud infrastructure, developer reputation loss for a company, so become the main infrastructure access to the necessary resources the ability to quickly back up data model. is streamlined: By going to a self- is critical for most platforms—from Experts from IBM say the same, service portal, they can get capacities billing systems to websites. A backup noting a new trend among banks, in minutes, not months. At the end may be also needed to protect against insurance companies, and financial of the reporting period, the service employee errors and to quickly deploy technology companies. It is called the provider simply issues a detailed services in the event of force majeure. cloud-first strategy, where clouds invoice for actually used virtual Sound Community Bank, one of are given priority in the business machines with per-minute billing. the largest banks in the state of infrastructure. Let’s describe several The Royal Bank of Canada, the Washington (USA), began using the scenarios in which cloud technologies largest Canadian bank, has been cloud in May to back up its archives. are used by financial sector players to using cloud infrastructure since 2018 The bank manages $715 million for solve their daily tasks. to speed up the development of its customers from more than 15,000 software products. It is noteworthy companies and households. Sean 1. Speeding up development and that this project is not just a Bornicke, head of technical support release of products and services consequence of optimization, but part at Sound Community Bank, said In large organizations with of the implementation of the bank’s that the constant growth of user traditional IT systems, developers global strategy to transfer business to and customer data, and the limited often face the issue of waiting for the Data-Driven Enterprise segment. capacity of the bank’s own storage, resources. It can often take several The demand for cloud solutions made it difficult to update the local weeks or months from the initial to speed up development is highly backup system, creating risks for the smooth operation of the business.

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com Spotlight on Cloud Computing

That’s why it was decided to migrate Bank Group, an American bank with to the cloud, with which the bank is a net worth of over $230 million, was completely satisfied. forced to move 70 % of its employees to remote workplaces as a result of 3. Quick infrastructure scaling the pandemic. This step allowed the Financial companies can face an company to not only avoid massive explosion in user data or transactions layoffs, but also to adapt the business as a result of changes in market to the new realities in the shortest conditions, new products, or time possible. emergencies. At the same time, it is seldom possible to predict when 6. Working with user data such growth will occur, so financial Cloud infrastructure significantly institutions must be able to quickly Vsevolod Vayner, G-Core Labs Cloud reduces the cost of storing user scale their infrastructure, expanding Platform Department Head data, but the question remains, how processor capacity and RAM. reliable is the protection of personal The G-Core Labs cloud can provide G-Core Labs sees great promise information about customers and this opportunity at any time. With in the development of applications partners of banks and insurance its help, a customer can deploy based on big data and artificial companies? In this regard, today, so- infrastructure for new business units intelligence. Therefore, within called hybrid clouds are being actively in a few clicks, connect additional our cloud, we are developing an introduced in the financial sector, virtual machines to “hold” the website AI platform that provides every allowing for the separate storage during periods of high demand, scale developer and data scientist the of anonymized and private data. the payment platform, and so on. ability to quickly create, train, and Primerica, one of the leaders in the Solving such problems by purchasing deploy machine learning models. US insurance market, uses a hybrid ALEPO’S PRIVATE one’s own backup equipment, on the Within the cloud AI platform, in cloud for more flexible management one hand, requires significantly large addition to supporting full cycle of various categories of personal data. financial investment and time. It also machine learning, users have access G-Core Labs also offers its creates an increase in the operational to a catalog of ready-made templates customers the option to deploy hybrid load on the IT department, which and models with continuous delivery solutions, or to provide a secure loop 5G SOLUTION must maintain and support these and real-time technical support. On in the public cloud located in the additional capacities which will be idle the model of the G-Core Labs cloud, customer’s own security perimeter. for a large portion of time. it will soon be possible to deploy Big The digital transformation that Leverage the benefits of Industry 4.0 Data applications based on Hadoop we’ve seen in the finance sector in 4. Deploying AI and Big Data clusters. recent years has certainly received applications a new impetus as a result of the Thanks to the cloud, banks, 5. Placing virtual desktops pandemic. It’s now forcing companies insurance, and fintech companies Deploying call centers, customer to significantly reconsider their can gain access to the enormous support services, and a back office approach to storing and working computing power needed to build for temporary and seasonal projects with data. The range of application of Low-footprint Launch 5G use heavy AI and Big Data applications. usually require a large number of cloud solutions for finance companies This does not require creating remote employees. The advantage is very wide; they allow reducing the compact core solution cases rapidly or building up one’s own IT of a virtual desktop is that it’s time to market for new products infrastructure and hiring additional much easier and faster to deploy and services, reducing costs, quickly staff. For example, Shanghai-based or remove as needed. In addition, organizing remote work of hundreds SPD Bank was recently made an the introduction of virtual desktops and thousands of employees, honorary member of the Cloud greatly facilitates the process of increasing the transparency of Cloud, on-premise, Converged 4G and Native Computing Foundation for centralized team management and personnel outsourcing schemes, its active use of cloud technology in control over work performance. and quickly adapting to changing and hybrid options 5G support application development. Using the Another advantage of the cloud market conditions. As a result, the cloud since 2017, the bank has been workplace is saving money by not development of cloud infrastructure able to develop and implement more purchasing expensive equipment, creates a competitive environment than 60 applications that use artificial which is especially important in times that contributes to the growth and intelligence, including critical ones. of crisis. For example, The State development of the finance sector. AlepoAlepo Technologies Technologies Inc. (www.alepo.com)(www.alepo.com)

46 USAUSA HQHQ || GlobalGlobal presence inin allall regions regions

Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com ReachReach out out toto ourour expertsexperts now:now: [email protected]@alepo.com ALEPO’S PRIVATE 5G SOLUTION Leverage the benefits of Industry 4.0

Low-footprint Launch 5G use compact core solution cases rapidly

Cloud, on-premise, Converged 4G and and hybrid options 5G support

AlepoAlepo Technologies Technologies Inc. (www.alepo.com)(www.alepo.com)

USAUSA HQHQ || GlobalGlobal presence inin allall regions regions 47

Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - aReach ReportReach by TelecomDrive.com out out toto ourour expertsexperts now:now: [email protected]@alepo.com

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Disruptive Telecoms 2020 - a Report by TelecomDrive.com